Three-Letter Words
Many simple English words contain three letters. These words are useful for practising the connection between letters and sounds.
A common three-letter word has a beginning sound, a vowel sound in the middle and an ending sound.
Learning Objectives
- Recognise simple three-letter words.
- Blend sounds to read three-letter words.
- Identify beginning, middle and ending sounds.
- Build three-letter words using individual letters.
Reading Three-Letter Words
We can use the sounds of the letters to read a simple three-letter word.
The word cat begins with c, contains a in the middle and ends with t.
More Examples
These are examples of simple three-letter words.
Building Three-Letter Words
We can build a word by choosing letters for its sounds and putting them in the correct order.
Changing One Letter
Changing one letter can create another simple word.
The ending letter changes to create different words.
The ending sound and letter change to make a new word.
Common Mistakes
- Do not leave out a letter when reading a three-letter word.
- Keep the letters in their correct order.
- Listen to the middle vowel sound carefully.
- Check the final sound before completing the word.
Practice
1. Read the word cat.
2. Read the word sun.
3. Build a word using m, a, p.
4. What is the middle letter in pen?
5. Change the final letter of cat to p.
Try It Yourself
Write these letters on separate cards: c, a, t, p, m, s, u, n. Use them to build as many simple three-letter words as you can.
Quick Revision
- Many simple English words contain three letters.
- Three-letter words can be read by blending sounds.
- Changing one letter can create a new word.
- Beginning, middle and ending sounds help us read words.
Next Step
Now that you can read and build simple words, the next lesson will introduce common words that children meet in everyday reading.