Step-by-step English Level 1: Short u words
Part of the Step-by-step English Level 1 simple cvc words chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Short u words
In bus, the letters are b, u, s. The middle letter is u, which makes the short sound /u/ as in up.
Read /b/ /u/ /s/ and join the sounds: bus. Check the picture.
Two words with the same middle letter, such as bus and bug, have the same vowel sound.
Key ideas
- Each word here has u in the middle.
- Read the middle letter first.
- Find the word with the same middle letter.
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.b - u - s
- Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.bus = picture B
- Write the answer. B
Check. The other pictures show different names: dog, pot. ✓
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.bus
- Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.b - u - s
- Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.bus
- Write the answer. bus
Check. Read the letters back: b - u - s. They make bus. ✓
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.b - u - s
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.bus
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?bus and bus are the same
- Write the answer. Yes
Check. The picture shows a bus. ✓
Watch out. Check every letter in the word, not only the first.
Watch out
Watch out: cup and bus have the same middle letter, but they start and end differently.Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Say "u" as in up, short and sharp. Ask the child to find the middle letter of each word first.
Exercise 4E Practice: short u words
Method. Read the word, then say what the picture shows.
- Read the word. Sound out each letter.b - u - s
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.cat
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?bus 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.b - u - g
- Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.bug = picture A
- Write the answer. A
Check. The other pictures show different names: tin, mat. ✓
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.bug
- Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.b - u - g
- Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.bug
- Write the answer. bug
Check. Read the letters back: b - u - g. They make bug. ✓
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.b - u - g
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.bug
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?bug and bug are the same
- Write the answer. Yes
Check. The picture shows a bug. ✓
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.b - u - g
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.cat
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?bug 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 - u - g
- Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.mug = picture C
- Write the answer. C
Check. The other pictures show different names: hut, bed. ✓
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.mug
- Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.m - u - g
- Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.mug
- Write the answer. mug
Check. Read the letters back: m - u - g. They make mug. ✓
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 - u - g
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.mug
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?mug and mug are the same
- Write the answer. Yes
Check. The picture shows a mug. ✓
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 - u - g
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.cat
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?mug 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.c - u - p
- Look at each picture. Find the picture with that name.cup = picture B
- Write the answer. B
Check. The other pictures show different names: fan, net. ✓
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.cup
- Put the letters in order. Start with the first sound.c - u - p
- Read the letters from left to right. Check the word matches the picture.cup
- Write the answer. cup
Check. Read the letters back: c - u - p. They make cup. ✓
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.c - u - p
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.cup
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?cup and cup are the same
- Write the answer. Yes
Check. The picture shows a cup. ✓
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.c - u - p
- Look at the picture. Say what it shows.cat
- Compare them. Do they show the same name?cup 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.bus: middle = u
- Find the word with the same middle letter. Check each choice.bug has middle u
- Write the answer. A
Check. Both bus and bug have u 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.mug: middle = u
- Find the word with the same middle letter. Check each choice.cup has middle u
- Write the answer. C
Check. Both mug and cup have u in the middle. ✓
Watch out. Look at the middle letter only, not the first or the last.