Short Vowel Sort

• Kindergarten–1st grade
• Ages 5–7
• Free, no sign-up

A picture and its word pop up, like hat or pig. Your child listens for the vowel sound in the middle and sorts the word into the right basket: a as in cat, or i as in pig? Levels start with two vowels that sound very different and build to all five.

▶ Play

About the game

How to play

1. Read and listen. Tap the picture to hear the word again.
2. Listen for the middle sound. H-a-t: the middle sound is short a.
3. Tap the basket. Each basket shows a vowel and a key word.
4. Sort 10 words. Right on the first try earns stars.

For parents: what Short Vowel Sort practices

Short Vowel Sort trains kids to hear and tell apart the five short vowel sounds, which is the key to reading CVC words. It pairs with:

• Short vowels
• CVC words
• CVC Word Bingo

Common Core: RF.K.3b (short vowel sounds), RF.1.2a (distinguish long from short vowel sounds), RF.1.3b.

Getting the most out of it

• Say the word slowly and stop on the middle sound.
• Compare it to the key word: hat, cat. Same sound!
• Short e and short i are the hardest pair. Take your time.

Games are best as a reward or a warm-up, not the main lesson. Ten minutes of play after a short lesson works better than an hour of play on its own.

More games

• Word BuilderTap letter tiles to spell picture words.Kindergarten–1st grade
• Word Family WheelSpin a letter onto -at or -ig. Real or silly?Kindergarten–1st grade
• Syllable DrumDrum once for each syllable in a word.Kindergarten–1st grade

More phonics games · All games

Last reviewed: November 11, 2026

Questions parents ask