All CVC words

How to read "cab"

/c/ · /a/ · /b/ — short a /a/

"cab" has three sounds and no surprises. Stretch them together — /c//a//b/ — and speed up until the word appears. That single move is the whole skill of decoding.

c

/c/

a

/a/

b

/b/

Blend "cab" step by step

  1. Say /c/ and hold it.
  2. Slide straight into /a/ — no pause.
  3. Close with /b/.
  4. Repeat faster each time until it sounds like "cab".

Words that rhyme with "cab"

  • dab
  • jab
  • lab
  • nab
  • tab

All of these end in "-ab". Once your child reads one, the rest come almost free — only the first sound changes.

Common questions

How many sounds are in "cab"?

Three: /c/, /a/, /b/. That is why "cab" is called a CVC word — one consonant sound, one vowel sound, one consonant sound.

What vowel sound does "cab" have?

The short a /a/ sound, made by the letter a in the middle of the word.

What rhymes with "cab"?

dab, jab, lab, nab, tab — they all end in "-ab", so only the first sound changes.

Is "cab" a good first word to teach?

Yes, if your child already knows the sounds /c/, /a/, /b/. Teach the sounds first, then the blend — never the other way round.

Blend "cab" in the game

Blending Bay stretches each sound aloud and rewards a correct blend with a sticker.

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