All CVC words

How to read "pun"

/p/ · /u/ · /n/ — short u /u/

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

p

/p/

u

/u/

n

/n/

Blend "pun" step by step

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

Words that rhyme with "pun"

  • bun
  • fun
  • gun
  • nun
  • 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 "pun"?

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

What vowel sound does "pun" have?

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

What rhymes with "pun"?

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

Is "pun" a good first word to teach?

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

Blend "pun" in the game

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

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