CVC blending: how to read consonant-vowel-consonant words

Short answer: A CVC word has a consonant, a short vowel and a consonant, such as cat, pin or dog. To read it, say each sound, then blend them with no gaps: /k/ /æ/ /t/ becomes cat. Practice with word families (cat, hat, mat; pin, fin, pig) so that you hear how one change makes a new word.

▶ Open the sound card Practice →

At a glance

Word	Sounds	Blend
cat	/k/ /æ/ /t/	/kæt/
pin	/p/ /ɪ/ /n/	/pɪn/
dog	/d/ /ɔ/ /g/	/dɔg/
sun	/s/ /ʌ/ /n/	/sʌn/

How to make the sound

Say the first consonant sound.
Add the short vowel.
Add the last consonant.
Say all three fast with no pause: /kæt/.

Examples in sentences

cat
c-a-t: /k/ /æ/ /t/.
hat
h-a-t: /h/ /æ/ /t/.
map
m-a-p: /m/ /æ/ /p/.
pin
p-i-n: /p/ /ɪ/ /n/.
pig
p-i-g: /p/ /ɪ/ /g/.
dig
d-i-g: /d/ /ɪ/ /g/.

Common problems

Stopping between sounds: Do not say /k/…/æ/…/t/ with long gaps. Blend smoothly.
Adding a vowel to consonants: Do not say “kuh-a-tuh”. Keep consonants short.
Forgetting the final sound: Say all three sounds, including the last.

For Vietnamese speakers

Vietnamese syllables often end in a vowel or a nasal. In CVC words, say a clear final /t/, /p/, /g/ or /n/.
Word families help: change only the first sound and keep the rest.

Check yourself

How many sounds are in “pin”?
Show the answer
Three. /p/ /ɪ/ /n/.
What does CVC stand for?
Show the answer
Consonant, vowel, consonant. Like cat.
How do you blend /k/ /æ/ /t/?
Show the answer
cat Say them with no gap.

Questions

What is a word family?

Words that share an ending, such as cat, hat and mat.

Why use short vowels?

In CVC words, the vowel is usually short, so it is easy to blend.

Can I use blending for longer words?

Yes. Break a long word into parts and blend each part.

More lessons in this part

Part of the 👄 Pronunciation tool: Phonics & Word Decoding. See also the English pronunciation guide. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.

Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.

Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30

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