How to read "nun"
/n/ · /u/ · /n/ — short u /u/
"nun" has three sounds and no surprises. Stretch them together — /n//u//n/ — and speed up until the word appears. That single move is the whole skill of decoding.
n
/n/
u
/u/
n
/n/
Blend "nun" step by step
- Say /n/ and hold it.
- Slide straight into /u/ — no pause.
- Close with /n/.
- Repeat faster each time until it sounds like "nun".
Words that rhyme with "nun"
- bun
- fun
- gun
- 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 "nun"?
Three: /n/, /u/, /n/. That is why "nun" is called a CVC word — one consonant sound, one vowel sound, one consonant sound.
What vowel sound does "nun" have?
The short u /u/ sound, made by the letter u in the middle of the word.
What rhymes with "nun"?
bun, fun, gun, pun, run, sun — they all end in "-un", so only the first sound changes.
Is "nun" a good first word to teach?
Yes, if your child already knows the sounds /n/, /u/, /n/. Teach the sounds first, then the blend — never the other way round.
Blend "nun" in the game
Blending Bay stretches each sound aloud and rewards a correct blend with a sticker.
Play freeTeacher or school? See classroom pricing