Make free word family worksheets and CVC worksheets for any mix of 34 families, with plenty of CVC words to read, build and sort. Tick families like -at, -an, -ip and -ug and print word family houses, cut-and-spin word wheels, word sorts, roll and read games, fluency grids and vowel swap pages with an answer key. Add blends and digraphs (flat, chip, stop) when your reader is ready for the next step. Our word family worksheets change each time you press Shuffle.
Next step: once children read CVC words, try the grammar worksheets for nouns, verbs and sentences.
Build a word: real or silly?
Pick a word family, then tap a letter to put it in front. A real word turns green and joins the list, while a made-up “silly word” turns orange. The computer reads every word aloud, so children hear the sounds blend together. Can you find every real word in the family?
Ready-to-print word family worksheets (PDF)
Eight ready packs, from short a houses to long vowel families. Download one as it is, or use Customize to pick other families, add blends or print in black and white.
What is a word family?
A word family is a group of words that share the same ending sound and spelling, called the rime. In the -at family, cat, hat, mat and sat only change the first sound, called the onset. Once a child can read -at, they can read dozens of words by swapping one letter. That is why word families are one of the fastest ways to build early reading confidence, and why our word family worksheets cover 34 families, from -at all the way to -ight.
CVC words (consonant, vowel, consonant) such as cat, bed, pig, hop and sun are the first words most children learn to sound out. Most short vowel word families make CVC words, so working through the families is also a complete tour of CVC words, and every short vowel set doubles as CVC worksheets. Decoding regular one-syllable words like these is a first grade goal in the Common Core foundational reading skills (RF.1.3b).
Word families in our word family worksheets
| Vowel | Families | Example words |
|---|---|---|
| Short a | -at, -an, -ap, -ag, -ad, -am | cat, fan, map, bag, dad, jam |
| Short e | -et, -en, -ed, -eg, -ell | jet, hen, bed, leg, bell |
| Short i | -it, -ig, -in, -ip, -id | sit, pig, pin, zip, lid |
| Short o | -op, -ot, -og, -ob, -ock | mop, pot, dog, job, sock |
| Short u | -ug, -un, -ut, -ub, -um | bug, sun, nut, tub, gum |
| Next steps | -ake, -ine, -ight, -ail, -ay, -eep, -ing, -ank | cake, nine, night, snail, play, sheep, king, bank |
Seven kinds of word family worksheets
- Word family house: the family sits on the roof and its words live in the windows. Children read them, build new words in the letter boxes, draw one and write a sentence.
- Word wheel: cut out the letter wheel and the cover, join them with a paper fastener and spin to read a new word through the window.
- Word sort: cut out mixed word cards and glue each one under its family. Great for comparing -at and -ap, or short a and short i.
- Roll and read: roll a die, read a word from that row and color it. The first row to be fully colored wins.
- Fluency grid: 40 words with a running count at the end of each row. Time one minute, then try to beat it on another day.
- Vowel swap: b _ g can be bag, beg, big, bog or bug. Children test each short vowel and write the real words.
- Complete packet: a house and a wheel for every family you choose, plus a sort, roll and read, fluency grid and vowel swap.
A simple order for word family worksheets
- Start with short a: -at and -an have many easy, familiar words.
- Add one family at a time. Teach a new family, then sort it against one your child already knows.
- Move through short i, o, u and e. Short e is often hardest to hear, so many teachers leave it until last.
- Mix the vowels. Try -at, -it, -ot, -ut and -et together, and use the vowel swap pages to make children listen to the middle sound.
- Add blends and digraphs: turn on the blends option for words like flat, ship, stop and plug.
- Step up to long vowel families such as -ake, -ine and -ight.
Word families are one part of a systematic phonics program: they work best alongside letter-sound practice and plenty of reading real books.
Frequently asked questions
8 quick answers
What are word family worksheets?
Word family worksheets practice groups of words that share an ending, such as -at (cat, hat, mat). Children learn that changing the first letter makes a new word, which helps them read and spell many words quickly.
What are CVC words?
CVC words follow the pattern consonant, vowel, consonant, like cat, pen, sit, dog and bus. They have a short vowel sound in the middle and are usually the first words children blend and read on their own.
Are there CVC worksheets for each short vowel?
Yes. Tick only the short a, e, i, o or u families and every activity turns into CVC worksheets for that vowel, or mix all five for a review.
What age are word families for?
Most children practice word families in kindergarten and first grade, usually from around age 4 to 7, once they know most letter sounds.
What is the difference between a word family and a rhyme?
Words in the same family rhyme and share the same spelling, like cat and hat. Some rhyming words are spelled differently, like night and kite, or bear and hair. Word families keep the spelling the same, which makes them easier for early readers.
How do I make a word wheel?
Print the wheel page on card stock if you can. Cut out both circles and the little window on the cover, put the cover on top of the letter wheel and push a paper fastener (brad) through both center dots. Turn the wheel to read each word.
What is a “silly word”?
A silly word, also called a nonsense word, is a word that follows the spelling pattern but is not a real word, like “zat” or “gan”. Reading silly words shows that a child is really sounding out, not just remembering words.
Are these word family worksheets free?
Yes, all of them. There is no account to create, and Shuffle gives you a new version of any page in a second.
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