Free printable worksheets · United States
Pre-K CVC Words Worksheets (Ages 4–5)
Pre-K cvc words worksheets are practice sheets for children aged 4–5 in Pre-Kindergarten in the US. CVC words are three-letter consonant-vowel-consonant words, such as cat or sun, practiced as the first words decoded by blending sounds. The sheets on this page cover blending three sounds into a word, short vowel sounds, segmenting a word for spelling and reading simple sentences built from CVC words.
Pre-K is the bridge to kindergarten, so activities target the entry skills teachers consistently ask for: writing a first name, naming most uppercase and some lowercase letters, knowing a few letter sounds, counting to twenty, and managing scissors and a pencil comfortably. A four-year-old who knows a dozen letter sounds can begin to blend, and that is the task at this age: look at c-a-t, say each sound, push them together, point to the picture. Worksheets should use one short vowel at a time, usually "a" first, offer a picture beside every word, and keep to a few words per page. Do not expect the child to write the words, or to read them without saying the sounds aloud first.
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Browse all worksheets for ages 4–5
Blend Words Matching Worksheet for Preschoolers
Ages 4-5 · Pre-KAges 4-5 · ReceptionAges 4-5 · LKGAges 4-5
Children ages 4-5 practice reading consonant blend words — words that start with two consonant sounds blended together, like 'bl' or 'st' — and connecting them to the correct picture through a cut-and-paste matching activity. Blends are a step up in difficulty from single beginning sounds, since children must hear and produce two consonant sounds smoothly together, an important milestone on the way to more advanced phonics.
Short Vowel o and u Say and Match Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children hear and say the o and u sounds, see the mouth shape for each one and match pictures to the right sound. o: pot, dog, mop, fox, stop and box. u: cup, sun, bus, monkey, bun and nut.
Phonics Fun: Beginning Sound Circle Worksheet for Kids
Ages 4-5 · Pre-KAges 4-5 · ReceptionAges 4-5 · LKGAges 4-5
This worksheet builds phonemic awareness by having children say a picture's name aloud and then circle the letter that makes its beginning sound from a set of options. For four- and five-year-olds, choosing the correct letter from several choices is a step up from simply naming a letter, since it requires isolating just the first sound in a word and matching it to a specific written symbol.
CVC 'ap' Word Family Read and Reveal Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children read five 'ap' family words sound by sound, map, cap, lap, nap and tap, and see that changing the first sound makes a new word.
CVC 'ip' Word Family Read, Colour and Match Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children read the 'ip' words lip, sip, rip, tip and dip on their own and match each word to its picture, checking that they understood what they read.
Secret Words: Spell 'un' Family Words from First Sounds
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children hear the first sound of each picture (for example bird, umbrella, nest), write that letter and blend the three letters to read a hidden 'un' family word.
Letter Sounds f and h Say and Match Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children hear and say the f and h sounds, see the mouth shape for each one and match pictures to the right sound. f: fish, fig, fan, phone, photo and cough. h: hut, hop, hat, hen, horse and heart.
Letter Sounds y and z Say and Match Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children hear and say the y and z sounds, see the mouth shape for each one and match pictures to the right sound. y: yam, yak, yell, yolk, yacht and yo-yo. z: zip, zebra, zero, zoo, zigzag and scissors.
Wh, Sh, Th, Ch Sounds Worksheet for Preschoolers
Ages 4-5 · Pre-KAges 4-5 · ReceptionAges 4-5 · LKGAges 4-5
Filling in missing letters to complete words with the digraphs wh, sh, th, and ch teaches children ages 4-5 to recognize these blended consonant sounds, which behave differently from single letter sounds and require dedicated practice to master. Coloring the picture that matches the correct sound afterward reinforces the connection between the blended sound and its spelling.
Letter Sounds d and g Say and Match Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children hear and say the d and g sounds, see the mouth shape for each one and match pictures to the right sound. d: doll, dice, duck, ladder, muddy boots and dolphin. g: goat, gate, gift, ghost, egg and bag.
Read and Reveal CVC Words: sit, pit, pat, tap, tip
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children blend their first CVC words using only s, a, t, i, p and n: sit, pit, pat, tap and tip.
CVC 'en' Word Family Read and Reveal Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children read five 'en' family words sound by sound, den, pen, hen, ten and men, and see that changing the first sound makes a new word.
CVC 'an' Word Family Read, Colour and Match Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children read the 'an' words man, pan, fan, ran and van on their own and match each word to its picture, checking that they understood what they read.
Letter Sounds p and n Say and Match Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children hear and say the p and n sounds, see the mouth shape for each one and match pictures to the right sound. p: parrot, pot, pig, pizza, apple and pear. n: nose, nest, net, knife, dinner and knee.
CVC 'am' Word Family Read, Colour and Match Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children read the 'am' words jam, dam, yam, ham and ram on their own and match each word to its picture, checking that they understood what they read.
Alphabet Adventures: Write the First Letter - A to T Worksheet
Ages 4-5 · Pre-KAges 4-5 · ReceptionAges 4-5 · LKGAges 4-5
This worksheet builds early phonemic awareness in children ages 4-5 by asking them to identify a pictured object, say its name aloud, and isolate the very first sound to write as a letter. Practicing this across a wide range of letters, A through T, gives children repeated exposure to the letter-sound connection that underlies all future reading and spelling. It also strengthens letter formation as children physically write each capital letter.
Secret Words: Spell 'in' Family Words from First Sounds
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children hear the first sound of each picture (for example parrot, ink, nail), write that letter and blend the three letters to read a hidden 'in' family word.
CVC 'in' Word Family Read and Reveal Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children read five 'in' family words sound by sound, pin, tin, bin, win and fin, and see that changing the first sound makes a new word.
CVC 'at' Word Family Read and Reveal Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children read five 'at' family words sound by sound, cat, hat, bat, rat and mat, and see that changing the first sound makes a new word.
Find the 'ap' Words! A Fun Worksheet for Early Readers
Ages 4-5 · Pre-KAges 4-5 · ReceptionAges 4-5 · LKGAges 4-5
Children ages 4-5 build phonics fluency by reading and writing CVC words in the 'ap' family, like 'cap', 'map', and 'nap'. Recognizing this consistent letter pattern teaches early readers to decode groups of letters as a chunk rather than sounding out every letter individually, speeding up reading over time. Writing each word after finding it also reinforces correct spelling and letter sequencing for early literacy.
CVC 'un' Word Family Read and Reveal Worksheet
Ages 3-6 · Preschool–KindergartenAges 3-6 · Nursery–Year 1Ages 3-6 · Nursery–UKGAges 3-6
Children read five 'un' family words sound by sound, sun, fun, bun, nun and run, and see that changing the first sound makes a new word.
Circle the Correct Letter: Fun Phonics Worksheet for Kids
Ages 4-5 · Pre-KAges 4-5 · ReceptionAges 4-5 · LKGAges 4-5
This phonics worksheet helps children ages 4-5 connect a picture's beginning sound to its matching letter, a key decoding skill on the path to independent reading. Circling the correct letter from a small set of choices also builds visual discrimination, since children must tell similar-looking letters apart under a bit of time pressure.
Op Word Worksheet: Read and Write 'op' Words!
Ages 4-5 · Pre-KAges 4-5 · ReceptionAges 4-5 · LKGAges 4-5
This worksheet gives children ages 4-5 focused practice reading and writing CVC words in the 'op' family, like 'top', 'hop', and 'mop'. Recognizing the consistent '-op' ending across multiple words builds the pattern-recognition skill that lets early readers decode unfamiliar words more quickly. Writing each word after finding it in the help box also reinforces correct spelling and letter formation.
Rhyming Words Worksheet: Fun with Sounds!
Ages 4-5 · Pre-KAges 4-5 · ReceptionAges 4-5 · LKGAges 4-5
This worksheet has children ages 4-5 look at paired pictures, say the words aloud, and write the word that rhymes with its partner, building phonological awareness by focusing on matching ending sounds rather than beginning ones. Recognizing rhymes is one of the strongest early predictors of later reading success, since it trains children's ears to notice and manipulate the sounds within words.
What Pre-K cvc words worksheets cover
A four-year-old who knows a dozen letter sounds can begin to blend, and that is the task at this age: look at c-a-t, say each sound, push them together, point to the picture. Worksheets should use one short vowel at a time, usually "a" first, offer a picture beside every word, and keep to a few words per page. Do not expect the child to write the words, or to read them without saying the sounds aloud first.
- Say the three sounds in "cat" and blend them into the word
- Match "pig", "dog" and "sun" to the right picture
- Read four -at family words with a picture beside each
- Tap out the sounds in a spoken word before seeing it written
How to use these worksheets at home or in class
Ten minutes a day, starting with name tracing before moving to letters or numbers, builds the steady habit this stage rewards. Say a letter's sound alongside its name while tracing, and count out loud while touching each object in turn.
Start with the sheet that matches what your child can already do, then move one step up. Keep finished sheets in a folder: Pre-K teachers often ask for evidence of practice, and children like seeing their own progress.
Is your child ready for Pre-K cvc words work?
Before this stage a child should trace basic shapes and lines, recognize a few letters from their own name, count a small set of objects by pointing to each one, and sustain a simple table task for several minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know my four-year-old is ready for CVC words?
Two checks. First, does the child give the sound, not the name, for at least ten to fifteen letters, including a, i and o? Second, when you say "m-a-p" slowly with gaps, can the child tell you the word? Oral blending like that has to work before blending from print does. If either check fails, more letter-sound and listening games are the better use of the time, and the sheets can wait a few months.
What should a Pre-K child be able to do in cvc words?
A four-year-old who knows a dozen letter sounds can begin to blend, and that is the task at this age: look at c-a-t, say each sound, push them together, point to the picture. Worksheets should use one short vowel at a time, usually "a" first, offer a picture beside every word, and keep to a few words per page. Do not expect the child to write the words, or to read them without saying the sounds aloud first. Before this stage a child should trace basic shapes and lines, recognize a few letters from their own name, count a small set of objects by pointing to each one, and sustain a simple table task for several minutes.
Do these worksheets follow the Pre-K curriculum?
The sheets cover blending three sounds into a word, short vowel sounds, segmenting a word for spelling and reading simple sentences built from CVC words, which sit inside the State pre-K early learning standards; Head Start ELOF outcomes for Pre-K. Reception (UK), LKG / Junior KG (India) use the same skills at this age, so the sheets also fit families following those programmes.
Are these Pre-K cvc words worksheets free?
Yes. Each worksheet downloads free as a watermarked PDF once you create an account, with a limit of five a day. An annual membership ($20) removes the watermark and the limit for the whole library of over 1,000 worksheets and every printable pack.
Written by
Hemsweta Jain · Teacher Cheena
MBA and Early Childhood Educator, teaching since 2014 · Founder of RaisoActive, Mumbai
Written and reviewed by Hemsweta Jain (Teacher Cheena), who designs every RaisoActive worksheet.
Last reviewed
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