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Short or Long: o and u is a free printable Grade 1 English worksheet on silent e turning a short o or u long, aligned to Common Core standard RF.1.3. It prints 3 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

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All 25 sets ask different questions.

Short or Long: o and u

RF.1.3

NameDate

Sort each word into the right column.

1.Sort each word by its pattern: short o / o_e / short u / u_e.

Sort: those, huge, mop, rod, prune, bug, run, smoke

short oo_eshort uu_e
2.Sort each word by its pattern: short o / o_e / short u / u_e.

Sort: pup, rope, box, mud, rude, smoke, June, mop

short oo_eshort uu_e
3.Sort each word by its pattern: short o / o_e / short u / u_e.

Sort: fox, bone, not, jug, rude, cut, prune, close

short oo_eshort uu_e

LessonPrint · RF.1.3 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Short or Long: o and u

Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.short o: mop, rod; o_e: those, smoke; short u: bug, run; u_e: huge, prune
  2. 2.short o: box, mop; o_e: rope, smoke; short u: pup, mud; u_e: rude, June
  3. 3.short o: fox, not; o_e: bone, close; short u: jug, cut; u_e: rude, prune

Questions about Short or Long: o and u

What does the Short or Long: o and u worksheet cover?

It practices silent e turning a short o or u long — 3 questions for Grade 1, all on Common Core RF.1.3: Read words with long vowels, silent e, digraphs and common endings. The instruction to students is “Sort each word into the right column”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.

Which Common Core standard does Short or Long: o and u practice?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3 — RF.1.3, under Reading: Foundational Skills for Grade 1. The published standard reads: “Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.

What age or grade is this worksheet for?

Short or Long: o and u is written for Grade 1, typically ages 6-7. It is one of the sheets on RF.1.3, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.

Does Short or Long: o and u come with an answer key?

Yes. All 3 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.

How many different versions of Short or Long: o and u can I print?

25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.

Is Short or Long: o and u free to print and photocopy?

Yes. Short or Long: o and u, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.

More practice for RF.1.3

Read words with long vowels, silent e, digraphs and common endings.

All Grade 1 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to RF.1.3 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.