R-controlled vowels word list
Printable list of r-controlled vowel words · 2 pages
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When r comes right after a vowel, it changes the vowel's sound. The a in car isn't short a or long a, and the i in bird isn't short i. Teachers call these r-controlled vowels or bossy r.
This list has about 90 r-controlled words in five spellings: ar (car, farm), or (fork, storm), and the three spellings of one sound, er, ir and ur (her, bird, turn). Because er, ir and ur sound alike, reading them is easy but spelling them takes memory; sorting is the best practice. The er group also has a few two-syllable words like sister and winter, where -er is very common.
We left out words where w changes the sound, like word, work and warm. They come later.
Tips for using it
- Teach ar and or first; they each have one clear sound. Then teach er, ir and ur together as three ways to spell /er/.
- For spelling er, ir and ur, sort words into columns and read the columns aloud every day for a week.
Variations
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What are r-controlled vowels?
Vowels followed by r, where the r changes the vowel's sound: ar in car, or in for, er in her, ir in bird and ur in fur.
Why do er, ir and ur sound the same?
In most American speech, all three make the same /er/ sound. The spelling has to be learned word by word, which is why sorts help.