Short I Sounds: Word Lists, Decodable Stories & Activities

What is the Short I sound?

Vowel sounds come in two varieties: long vowels and short vowels. When it comes to decoding words, beginning readers most frequently start with short vowels—specifically Short A and Short I. This is because they are not only the most common vowel sounds, but they are also the short vowels with the fewest spelling variations.

The Short I sound in phonics (ĭ) is formed by relaxing the lips and placing the front area of the tongue in the central/upper area of the mouth, as in the picture below.

Because certain accents can make the Short I and Short E sound similar, it is important to enunciate the Short I sound clearly when teaching it to young readers. (For example, the words bit and bet, can sound similar, depending on the speaker’s accent, as can pin and pen.) One way to help young readers see the difference in letters is to say them in front of a mirror, paying close attention to the way the mouth moves and the shape it makes.

Before children can learn to read, they must first understand the sound a letter makes. The Short I makes an ih sound, as in itch, igloo, or inside. The best way to teach the Short I sound is by focusing on words that begin with a Short I, such as itch, igloo, or inside. Using this approach is recommended because it is easier for children learning phonics to isolate the first sound in a word than to break a word apart into its individual phonemes. When practicing these words, try saying them aloud. Encourage your child to repeat back to you the first sound in the word. Then ask them to determine what letter makes that sound. Once they have mastered identifying the Short I at the beginning of a word, move on to Short I CVC words, such as the ones below.

For Short I word lists and Short I activities, see the activity section after this article.

How to read the Short I sound?

Children who are just beginning to read and decode words are most likely to encounter the Short I in CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. Some examples of Short I CVC words include pig, fin, lid, and sit.

As a child’s decoding skills increase and they encounter longer words, the Short I will appear with letter blends. Some common Short I words include fish, sing, spin, and list.

What are the Short I word families?

• -ib
• -id
• -ig
• -ill
• -im
• -in
• -ink
• -ip
• -ish
• -ist
• -it
• -ix

Pro Tip: Although words containing “ir” such as "bird" seem like they should be Short I words, they actually fall under a unique category called “r-controlled vowels” that are neither short vowels nor long vowels.

Common Short I word families include -ib, -id, -ig, -im, -in, -ip, -it, and -ix. As children’s abilities to blend letters improves, they may move into more complex Short I word families such as -ill, -ink, -ish, and -ist.

Word families may be presented as a list of words for a new reader to practice decoding, such as the one below.

The more a new reader practices a spelling pattern, the more ingrained it will become until reading and recognizing the spelling pattern becomes second nature.

Short I Decodable Text

Work with your child to recognize words containing the Short I sound. Begin by asking your child to read single words that use the short I sound. Then try stringing several words together to form a sentence. Below is sample Short I decodable text:

• The lid is in the bin.
• Jim did a big jig.
• Tim hid six bibs.

Note that each of these sentences features only CVC words. Once your child has mastered reading CVC words featuring the short I sound, try introducing short I sentences that feature consonant blends. Below are sample Short I decodable sentences using consonant blends:

• The wind lifts the list.
• The twins spit in the sink.
• Tim did a spin.

Pro Tip: Writing sentences without the words such as the, and, and is can be challenging. These words are high-frequency words and are among the first children memorize. Don't be afraid to include them in sentences, but to be sure to help your child read them.

Free Short Vowel Decodable Passages

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Short Vowel Decodable Books

For more practice with the Short I Vowel Sound, check out Swim, Tim: A Short I Decodable Reader, part of the Charge into Reading Short Vowel Decodable Reader Set, available to buy today. This 5-book set is stage 1 in our structured system of decodable readers reviewed and approved by literacy specialist Marisa Ware and written by best-selling author Brooke Vitale.

Practicing Short I words

• Once a child has mastered other short vowel sounds, encourage them to identify the vowel used in common words.
• Print a CVC word on a piece of paper, with a picture of the word on the other side. Do this for several words, using several short vowel sounds. Then create 5 piles—one for each vowel. Encourage your child to say the name of the picture word out loud as many times as needed to identify the vowel used. Then ask them to put the card in the appropriate vowel pile. Once all of the words are sorted, turn the cards over to see if the words were properly sorted. This kind of hands-on activity engages an early reader in the process of recognizing words and reinforces spelling patterns in a way that endless reciting, copying, and workbook pages cannot.
• Ask your child to read sentences featuring Short I words. Then test their comprehension by asking them to draw a picture of what they read.
• Download our Short I activities and word lists below for more practice.