Step-by-step English Level 1: Short o words
Part of the Step-by-step English Level 1 simple cvc words chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Short o words
In dog, the letters are d, o, g. The middle letter is o, which makes the short sound /o/ as in ox.
Read /d/ /o/ /g/ and join the sounds: dog. Then find the matching picture.
Notice that log and dog have the same middle letter and the same ending.
Key ideas
- Each word here has o in the middle.
- Words with the same middle letter can end in different letters.
- Read the whole word before you choose a picture.
Method. Read the word first, then find the picture that matches.
- Read the word from the left. Sound out each letter, then join the sounds.d - o - g
- Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.dog = picture A
- Write the answer. A
Check. The other pictures show different names: pin, cat. ✓
Watch out. Read every letter. Do not guess from the first letter only.
Method. Say the name slowly, then write its letters in order.
- Say the name of the picture slowly. Say each sound, first to last.dog
- Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.d - o - g
- Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.dog
- Write the answer. dog
Check. Read the letters back: d - o - g. They make dog. ✓
Watch out. Each letter goes in the order of the sounds, not in alphabetical order.
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.d - o - g
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.dog
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?dog and dog are the same
- Write the answer. Yes
Check. The picture shows a dog. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Watch out
Watch out: dog and log look alike, but the first letters are different. Read every letter.Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Say the short "o" sound as in ox. Point to the middle letter before you read the whole word.
Exercise 4C Practice: short o words
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.d - o - g
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.cat
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?dog and cat are different
- Write the answer. No
Check. The picture shows a cat. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Method. Read the word first, then find the picture that matches.
- Read the word from the left. Sound out each letter, then join the sounds.l - o - g
- Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.log = picture A
- Write the answer. A
Check. The other pictures show different names: pot, hen. ✓
Watch out. Read every letter. Do not guess from the first letter only.
Method. Say the name slowly, then write its letters in order.
- Say the name of the picture slowly. Say each sound, first to last.log
- Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.l - o - g
- Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.log
- Write the answer. log
Check. Read the letters back: l - o - g. They make log. ✓
Watch out. Each letter goes in the order of the sounds, not in alphabetical order.
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.l - o - g
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.log
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?log and log are the same
- Write the answer. Yes
Check. The picture shows a log. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.l - o - g
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.cat
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?log and cat are different
- Write the answer. No
Check. The picture shows a cat. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Method. Read the word first, then find the picture that matches.
- Read the word from the left. Sound out each letter, then join the sounds.p - o - t
- Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.pot = picture A
- Write the answer. A
Check. The other pictures show different names: tin, mug. ✓
Watch out. Read every letter. Do not guess from the first letter only.
Method. Say the name slowly, then write its letters in order.
- Say the name of the picture slowly. Say each sound, first to last.pot
- Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.p - o - t
- Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.pot
- Write the answer. pot
Check. Read the letters back: p - o - t. They make pot. ✓
Watch out. Each letter goes in the order of the sounds, not in alphabetical order.
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.p - o - t
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.pot
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?pot and pot are the same
- Write the answer. Yes
Check. The picture shows a pot. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.p - o - t
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.cat
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?pot and cat are different
- Write the answer. No
Check. The picture shows a cat. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Method. Read the word first, then find the picture that matches.
- Read the word from the left. Sound out each letter, then join the sounds.m - o - p
- Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.mop = picture A
- Write the answer. A
Check. The other pictures show different names: pin, hat. ✓
Watch out. Read every letter. Do not guess from the first letter only.
Method. Say the name slowly, then write its letters in order.
- Say the name of the picture slowly. Say each sound, first to last.mop
- Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.m - o - p
- Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.mop
- Write the answer. mop
Check. Read the letters back: m - o - p. They make mop. ✓
Watch out. Each letter goes in the order of the sounds, not in alphabetical order.
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.m - o - p
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.mop
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?mop and mop are the same
- Write the answer. Yes
Check. The picture shows a mop. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.m - o - p
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.cat
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?mop and cat are different
- Write the answer. No
Check. The picture shows a cat. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Method. Find the middle letter, then find the choice that has the same one.
- Find the middle letter of the model word. It is the vowel in the middle.dog: middle = o
- Find the word with the same middle letter. Check each choice.log has middle o
- Write the answer. B
Check. Both dog and log have o in the middle. ✓
Watch out. Look at the middle letter only, not the first or the last.
Method. Find the middle letter, then find the choice that has the same one.
- Find the middle letter of the model word. It is the vowel in the middle.pot: middle = o
- Find the word with the same middle letter. Check each choice.mop has middle o
- Write the answer. A
Check. Both pot and mop have o in the middle. ✓
Watch out. Look at the middle letter only, not the first or the last.