All CVC words

How to read "gun"

/g/ · /u/ · /n/ — short u /u/

"gun" has three sounds and no surprises. Stretch them together — /g//u//n/ — and speed up until the word appears. That single move is the whole skill of decoding.

g

/g/

u

/u/

n

/n/

Blend "gun" step by step

  1. Say /g/ and hold it.
  2. Slide straight into /u/ — no pause.
  3. Close with /n/.
  4. Repeat faster each time until it sounds like "gun".

Words that rhyme with "gun"

  • bun
  • fun
  • nun
  • pun
  • run
  • sun

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

Common questions

How many sounds are in "gun"?

Three: /g/, /u/, /n/. That is why "gun" is called a CVC word — one consonant sound, one vowel sound, one consonant sound.

What vowel sound does "gun" have?

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

What rhymes with "gun"?

bun, fun, nun, pun, run, sun — they all end in "-un", so only the first sound changes.

Is "gun" a good first word to teach?

Yes, if your child already knows the sounds /g/, /u/, /n/. Teach the sounds first, then the blend — never the other way round.

Blend "gun" in the game

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

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