Home/Short Vowels/Short U (/ŭ/)/Printable Word List
Printable Practice Sheet
PhonicSheets Practice Sheet

Short U (/ŭ/) Decodable Words

10 verified CVC words targeting the short vowel sound. Ideal for guided reading, phonics warmups, blending practice, and home literacy reinforcement.

Name: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________
Score / Notes: ______ / 10
WordSounds (Sound Boxes)Word FamilyVisual Asset
sun
sun
-un✓ Illustrated
cup
cup
-up✓ Illustrated
bus
bus
-us✓ Illustrated
nut
nut
-ut✓ Illustrated
mug
mug
-ug✓ Illustrated
bug
bug
-ug✓ Illustrated
tub
tub
-ub✓ Illustrated
rug
rug
-ug✓ Illustrated
run
run
-un✓ Illustrated
bun
bun
-un✓ Illustrated

How to Use This Word List

1. Sound by Sound:

Have the child touch each letter box while vocalizing the sound (/c/ ... /a/ ... /t/).

2. Continuous Blending:

Slide a finger under the whole word without pausing between the sounds (caaat → cat).

3. Rhyme Detection:

Highlight words sharing the same rime family (such as -at: cat, bat, hat, mat).

Interactive Sound Box Cards

Review each word with illustrated Elkonin sound boxes on screen before printing.

Illustration of sun
sun-un
3 letters • 3 sounds
s/s/
u/ʌ/
n/n/
Illustration of cup
cup-up
3 letters • 3 sounds
c/k/
u/ʌ/
p/p/
Illustration of bus
bus-us
3 letters • 3 sounds
b/b/
u/ʌ/
s/s/
Illustration of nut
nut-ut
3 letters • 3 sounds
n/n/
u/ʌ/
t/t/
Illustration of mug
mug-ug
3 letters • 3 sounds
m/m/
u/ʌ/
g/ɡ/
Illustration of bug
bug-ug
3 letters • 3 sounds
b/b/
u/ʌ/
g/ɡ/
Illustration of tub
tub-ub
3 letters • 3 sounds
t/t/
u/ʌ/
b/b/
Illustration of rug
rug-ug
3 letters • 3 sounds
r/r/
u/ʌ/
g/ɡ/
Illustration of run
run-un
3 letters • 3 sounds
r/r/
u/ʌ/
n/n/
Illustration of bun
bun-un
3 letters • 3 sounds
b/b/
u/ʌ/
n/n/