Free Short A CVC Word Lists – Real and Nonsense
Looking for high-quality, printable short a word lists? This page includes two free PDF downloads designed to support early readers as they learn to decode CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. Each list focuses specifically on the short a vowel sound, giving students structured practice with one of the earliest and most essential phonics patterns.
What’s Included
You can download two short a CVC word lists in PDF format:
- Short A CVC Real Word List – Contains real English words with a short a sound, such as cat, mad, jam, and bag. These are ideal for beginning readers who are learning to identify and decode words with short vowel sounds.
- Short A CVC Nonsense Word List – Includes made-up words that follow regular phonetic rules and feature the short a vowel sound, like vap, zan, lat, and mav. These are useful for phonics assessments, decoding practice, and identifying whether students can truly apply short a sound knowledge to unfamiliar words.
Both lists follow consistent phonics guidelines to ensure that the words are developmentally appropriate and aligned with early literacy instruction.
Why Use Short A CVC Word Lists?
Short a CVC words are typically among the first words introduced in phonics instruction. Because they consist of only three sounds and a single short vowel, they are easier for young learners to decode and spell. Mastery of short a CVC words lays the foundation for more complex phonics skills, including blends, digraphs, and multi-syllable decoding.
These word lists can be used to:
- Introduce the short a vowel sound in isolation
- Provide repeated decoding and spelling practice
- Assess students’ understanding of short vowel sounds
- Monitor progress during reading intervention
- Support home-school connections with targeted practice
Short A CVC Word List Downloads
Short A CVC Real Word List PDF |
Short A CVC Nonsense Word List PDF |
Explore CVC Words by Vowel:
Short E | Short I | Short O | Short U
Explore More Phonics Resources
Each list is easy to print and ready to use in any literacy block, phonics lesson, or small group setting.
Custom Short A Word Lists
If you need additional short a words or want to create your own combinations, you can use our free CVC word list generator. This tool allows you to choose real or nonsense words, specify which vowels and consonants to include, and instantly generate a printable word list focused on short a or any other short vowel sound.
Use the CVC Word List Generator
All lists are free, printable, and carefully designed to align with best practices in phonics instruction.
About These Word Lists
We create CVC word lists that are classroom-ready and easy to use. Our lists avoid tricky word endings like -am and -an that may alter the sound of the vowel. Nonsense word lists follow regular spelling rules and exclude letter combinations that would confuse early readers or violate phonetic conventions.
About me!
Hi! My name is Miss Becca, and I’m an elementary school teacher in New York. Over the course of my teaching career, I’ve taught every grade from kindergarten through fifth grade. I’m certified in both special and general education, and I’ve taught students from both populations. I’ve also taught reading intervention.
I used to spend a lot of time creating my own word lists and word cards to supplement phonics programs and reading intervention programs. Learning to read is hard, and students need a lot of practice, but it was difficult to find resources targeting exactly what I needed! I created phonicswordlist.com to make my own job in the classroom easier, and hopefully to help other teachers as well!
I hope you find this resource useful! Feel free to shoot me an email at beccatheteacher (at) gmail (dot) com with any questions or feedback!
P.S. – Check out my store on Teachers Pay Teachers! 😊