CVCE Word List (Plus Printable PDF and Teaching Ideas)

After mastering CVC and CVCC words, children are ready to learn CVCE words (Consonant–Vowel–Consonant–E), often called “magic e” or “silent e” words. CVCE words, such as cake or bike, end with a silent e that changes the vowel sound from short to long. This pattern is an important step in phonics because it introduces the idea of silent letters and shows children that letters can make more than one sound. On this page, you’ll find a list of CVCE words, along with fun activities and free resources to make teaching these words more engaging and effective.

What Are CVCE Words

CVCE words, also known as “magic e” words or “silent e” words, follow a simple pattern: consonant–vowel–consonant–e. The final e is silent, but it changes the vowel sound in the word, usually making it long. For example, cake, hope, mule, and nice are all CVCE words.

These words are usually taught once children are confident with consonant sounds and short vowel sounds. This often happens in late kindergarten or first grade, depending on the curriculum and each learner’s progress.

The CVCE pattern is an important milestone in phonics because it introduces silent letters and shows children that letters can make more than one sound. Learning this rule helps students begin to recognize spelling patterns and greatly expands their reading abilities.

List Of CVCE Words

Here is a list of common CVCE (“magic e”) words, grouped by vowel sound. These are the most useful words for teaching early readers.

Vowel	CVCE Words
A	bake, base, cage, cake, cane, case, cave, daze, fade, fame, fare, gale, game, gate, lace, lame, lane, late, make, mate, rake, sake, sane, save, tame, tape
E	gene, Pete
I	bike, dine, fine, hide, hike, kite, lice, life, line, mice, pine, ride, ripe, rite, site, size, time
O	code, coke, cone, core, cove, dope, dose, hone, hose, lobe, lone, mole, note, pole
U	dude, fuse, mute, rule, tune

Download the CVCE Word List

Here’s a free printable PDF of the CVCE word list, also called “silent e words,” that you can display in class or hand out to students.

Fun Ways To Teach These CVCE Words

Once students understand that reading silent e words means changing the vowel sound, they need plenty of practice to make the rule stick. Fortunately, there are many fun and simple ways to teach CVCE words. Here are some of our favorites:

Make A Magic E Wand

This simple craft is always a hit with students. Give each child a pencil and a paper star with the letter e written on it, then attach the star to the pencil to make a “magic e wand.” With their wands, students can “change” CVC words into CVCE (silent e) words by adding the e at the end (e.g., cap → cape, hop → hope). This activity turns ordinary reading practice into a fun, magical way to reinforce the magic e rule.

Make CVCE Board Games

Board games are a great way to add fun and variety to reading practice. Create a simple board game or use one of our printable board game templates, and fill the spaces with CVCE (silent e) words. Each time a student lands on a space, they must read the word aloud or use it in a sentence. Turning word practice into a game keeps children motivated while giving them repeated exposure to the magic e rule.

Play a CVCE Flashcard Game

Flashcards are a simple, flexible tool for practising CVCE (silent e) words. Try the “What’s Missing?” game: place several cards on the board, have students read them aloud, then ask them to close their eyes while you remove one. When they open their eyes, they must identify the missing word. This quick activity reinforces recognition of magic e words and can be repeated with new sets for extra practice.

CVCE Word Hunt Activity

Write CVCE (silent e) words on sticky notes or index cards and hide them around the classroom. Students search for the words and read them aloud when they find them. This activity adds movement to the lesson, keeps students engaged, and gives plenty of practice recognising and reading magic e words.

Play CVCE Word Bingo

Just like traditional bingo, have students write nine CVCE (silent e) words in a 3×3 grid in any order they choose. Call out words one by one, and students cross them off as they go. The first to complete a full line or two wins. If your students aren’t confident writing words yet, you can create free CVCE bingo sheets with our Bingo Sheet Generator. Just type in the words and print as many copies as you need.

Additional Resources For Teaching CVCE Words

If you’re teaching CVCE words in a classroom setting, try our CVCE PowerPoints to introduce the magic e rule and give students guided practice.