Free word list, practice and printable cards

CVCe word list: 23 silent-e words

Does your child blend short words like tap and cap? Introduce a_e with tap → tape and cap → cape. Try just these four words with audio and printable cards, or explore the full 23-word CVCe list below.

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CVCe silent-e words: a_e, i_e, o_e and u_e

23 words · 4 vowel-spelling groups · 20 picture cues · printable

From CVC to CVCe

Start with two short-a / silent-e pairs

Use the starter when your child can blend tap and cap and knows t, p and c as in cap. Teach the new a_e spelling together. If joining the short words is still hard, stay with short-vowel practice.

Four words: tap, tape, cap, cape. The cards below keep this same set for audio, Print and practice.

No account needed. Choose Print inside the activity for these same four words, with or without available pictures. For word-only practice, turn pictures off. Stop if a sound or word is unfamiliar.

What is in the set

23 CVCe words by vowel spelling

In these words, the vowel and final e work together across a consonant: a_e, i_e, o_e or u_e. The final e has no separate sound. The four-word starter above contrasts short a with a_e; choose All 23 words only when its other spellings are familiar.

a_e: the vowel in cake

Eight words with the long-a sound.

  • cake
  • name
  • game
  • gate
  • lake
  • cave
  • tape
  • cape

i_e: the vowel in bike

Five words with the long-i sound.

  • bike
  • kite
  • time
  • five
  • ride

o_e: the vowel in home

Six words with the long-o sound. In nose and rose, s represents the /z/ sound.

  • home
  • bone
  • rope
  • hope
  • nose
  • rose

u_e: the vowel in cute

Four u_e words. Cute, cube and mule have a /yoo/ sound; tube may have /yoo/ or /oo/, depending on your accent.

  • cute
  • cube
  • mule
  • tube

Use the cards your way

Online practice and a printable set

01

Compare a short vowel with silent e

Write tap → tape and cap → cape. Read each word aloud, pointing to the vowel spelling. The added e changes the vowel sound in these pairs; it does not add a separate spoken sound.

02

Try four more contrasts

Compare hop → hope, cut → cute, cub → cube and tub → tube. Model both words, then invite your child to read them with help. Use your usual pronunciation of tube.

03

Keep meaning alongside reading

The activity has existing picture cues for 20 words; name, hope and cute have no picture cue. Read the letters first, then use a picture or a short spoken example to check what the word means.

A five-minute routine

Keep practice small and specific

Stop while the reading still feels successful. A few careful turns with five cards are more useful than rushing through the whole pack.

  1. 1

    Model one spelling

    Choose a few words from one visible group or print the collection and set the others aside. For tape, point to t, the a_e spelling and p; say the sounds, join them, then say tape. Do not sound the final e separately.

  2. 2

    Read together, then try

    Let your child look at each spelling and blend the word. Use the audio as a model or check, rather than asking them to guess from a picture. If they get stuck, model the word and invite another supported attempt.

  3. 3

    Read a fresh word on paper

    Set cape aside before practice. After practicing tape, write cape without a picture if it has not just been shown and c, a_e and p are familiar. Invite your child to read it, helping as needed, then discuss its meaning. Stop or return to a familiar word if a sound is unknown; one attempt does not establish mastery.

Questions

About this flashcard set

What does CVCe mean?

CVCe describes a consonant–vowel–consonant–e spelling, such as cake or bike. In these examples the vowel has a long sound and the final e is silent. Teachers also call this a split vowel spelling or a silent-e pattern.

Does every word ending in e follow this pattern?

No. Words such as have and give do not use the long-vowel pattern shown here. Teach this as a useful spelling pattern with exceptions, not a rule for every final e.

Does this list include every long vowel?

No. This practice set covers a_e, i_e, o_e and u_e in 23 four-letter curriculum words. It does not include e_e words, longer silent-e words or other long-vowel spellings such as ai and ee.

Can I print the CVCe word cards?

Yes. Choose the four-word starter or All 23 words, then choose Print in that activity. The selected collection stays the same for online and paper practice; available pictures can be kept on or turned off. The complete CVCe word list is also visible on this page.

Should we start here if short-vowel words are still difficult?

Begin with familiar consonant sounds and short-vowel blending first. Return to this set when your child can join those sounds with support, and introduce one silent-e spelling at a time.

Practice short-vowel CVC words first
Flashcards

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