How to read "cut"
/c/ · /u/ · /t/ — short u /u/
"cut" has three sounds and no surprises. Stretch them together — /c//u//t/ — and speed up until the word appears. That single move is the whole skill of decoding.
c
/c/
u
/u/
t
/t/
Blend "cut" step by step
- Say /c/ and hold it.
- Slide straight into /u/ — no pause.
- Close with /t/.
- Repeat faster each time until it sounds like "cut".
Words that rhyme with "cut"
- but
- gut
- hut
- jut
- nut
- rut
All of these end in "-ut". Once your child reads one, the rest come almost free — only the first sound changes.
Common questions
How many sounds are in "cut"?
Three: /c/, /u/, /t/. That is why "cut" is called a CVC word — one consonant sound, one vowel sound, one consonant sound.
What vowel sound does "cut" have?
The short u /u/ sound, made by the letter u in the middle of the word.
What rhymes with "cut"?
but, gut, hut, jut, nut, rut — they all end in "-ut", so only the first sound changes.
Is "cut" a good first word to teach?
Yes, if your child already knows the sounds /c/, /u/, /t/. Teach the sounds first, then the blend — never the other way round.
Blend "cut" in the game
Blending Bay stretches each sound aloud and rewards a correct blend with a sticker.
Play freeTeacher or school? See classroom pricing