Learn all about the Short E sound following research-backed, Science of Reading-aligned best practices, and get a free printable list of 114 short e words, organized by word family. Get a new freebie every week!

Short E Word Sorting: Create a fun and educational sorting game where students categorize words based on their vowel sounds, with a special focus on the short E. This activity not only reinforces phonetic learning but also enhances critical thinking skills.

A detailed guide to teaching short E words including short E word families, Short Vowel Decodable Passages, short E activities, and short E decodable books.

Grab our free printable short ‘e’ word list and cards. Then try some of the activities below. Jump to: It’s important to use a reliable keyword to introduce the short ‘e’ sound and help students remember it. “Ed,” “edge,” and “echo” are good ones.

It is most common for short e words to be spelled with just the letter e, but sometimes words will make the short e sound without having the letter e in the word at all. Below are some examples and six of the most common different ways in which to write short e words.