Short Vowel Words

In the English language, there are different ways to pronounce vowels. One category of such vowel pronunciation is the short vowel sound — one that has many associated words. But what are some short vowel words and how do you identify them? This article will explore short vowel sounds, general rules for forming short vowel words, and examples of short vowel words for each vowel — a, e, i, o, and u.

Short Vowel Sounds

Short vowel sounds are a type of pronunciation for the vowels in the English language — a, e, i, o, and u. This description is not literal (meaning that you would not pronounce the vowels in a short, quick, or abbreviated manner) but is only used in contrast to long vowel sounds.

With long vowel sounds, you pronounce the vowels “by name” — meaning “a” would be pronounced like the letter “a” as in “lake”, “e” would be pronounced the letter “e” as in “cheese”, “i” would be pronounced like the letter “i” as in “like”, and so on.

Long vowel sounds are generated mainly by repeating vowels (like the letter “e” in “free” or “meet”), or by vowel-consonant-vowel (VCV) word spellings (like the letter “a” in “make”, the letter “i” in “time”, the letter “o” in “joke”).

Short vowel sounds, in contrast, are the pronunciation of vowels as they generally appear in consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) word spellings. Examples of this include the letter “a” in “hat” or “bag”, the letter “u” in “cup” or “tug”, or the letter “i” in “big” or “tin”.

Short vowel words can include longer words than simple CVC words — like “snack”, “jump”, or “plot”.

There are different short vowel pronunciations for each vowel, as explained below.

Short A Words

Short “a” words are pronounced like the “a” vowel is in “cat” or “tag”.

Short “a” words include:

Ab
Apt
Fab
Cab
Tab
Jab
Gab
Lab
Nab
Dab
Crab
Slab
Fad
Dad
Lad
Pad
Sad
Mad
Rad
Tad
Bad
Gas
Cap
Lap
Tap
Map
Gap
Rap
Nap
Zap
App
Slap
Clap
Fan
Van
Man
Tan
Ran
Pan
Ban
Glass
Mass
Class
Sass
Fast
Mast
Past
Ramp
Stamp
Lamp
Damp
Hand
Band
Stand
Snack
Shack
Lack
Knack
Hack
Slack
Pack
Rack
Back
Tack
Stack
Smack
Quack
Rat
Mat
Pat
Fat
Hat
Cat
Chat
Slat

Short E Words

Short “e” words are pronounced like the “e” vowel is in “beg” or “led”.

Short “e” words include:

Red
Med
Led
Fed
Sled
Bed
Head
Tread
Jet
Met
Net
Wet
Set
Yet
Tent
Cent
Pent
Lent
Rent
Dent
Scent
Men
Hen
Ten
Lense
Sense
Dense
Defense
Spend
Lend
Mend
Tend
End
Defend
Trend
Send
Fell
Smell
Tell
Well
Yell
Hell
Web
Vest
Test
West
Jest
Rest
Pest
Chest
Lest

Short I Words

Short “i” words are pronounced like the “i” vowel is in “bit” or “din”.

Short “i” words include:

Rid
Mid
Lid
Id
Kid
Hid
Bid
Lip
Clip
Sip
Rip
Tip
Nip
Dip
Whip
Big
Wig
Pig
Hit
Bit
Writ
Lit
Fit
Sit
Pit
Nit
Mitt
Silk
Milk
Win
Tin
Twin
Pin
Lint
Glint
Flint
Mint
Fill
Pill
Till
Hill
Gill
Dill
Mill
Bill
Chill
Sill
Will
Nil
Rim
Dim
Whim
Trim
Fib
Rib
Sib
Whip
Thick
Quick
Sick
Stick
Pick
Lick
Trick
Slick
Quit

Short O Words

Short “o” words are pronounced like the “o” vowel is in “hot” or “job”.

Short “o” words include:

Cod
Rod
God
Bod
Pod
Nod
Odd
Off
Jot
Pot
Cot
Rot
Tot
Dot
Hot
Not
Lot
Got
Clot
Trot
Blot
Nob
Job
Mob
Rob
Sob
Lob
Cob
Box
Ox
Pox
Rock
Sock
Mock
Knock
Lock
Dock
Log
Dog
Bog
Hog
Cog
On
Pond
Con
Don
Stop
Shop
Drop
Cop
Mop
Hop
Bop
Sop
Top
Plop
Mom

Short U Words

Short “u” words are pronounced like the “u” vowel is in “bug” or “rut”.

Short “u” words include:

Sub
Tub
Pub
Rub
Dub
Cub
Hub
Nub
Mud
Dud
Sud
Bud
Cut
Rut
But
Gut
Nut
Jut
Mutt
Rum
Chum
Bum
Gum
Lump
Jump
Pump
Plump
Trump
Rump
Dump
Bump
Cuff
puff
Hug
Mug
Rug
Tug
Dug
Bug
Gun
Bun
Sun
Fun
Pun
Run
Crust
Rust
Dust
Must
Lust
Trust
Cuss
Muss
Fuss
Bus
Runt
Punt
Hunt
Fund

Find out more: Short vowel worksheets in English

Short Vowel Words | Short Vowel Sounds