R-controlled vowels (bossy r): ar, or, er, ir, ur

When a vowel is followed by r, the r changes the vowel's sound: cat becomes cart, fist becomes first. Hear the words for ar, or, er, ir and ur, read the sentences, and play the game.

R-controlled vowels list (37 words)

Tap a word to hear it.

ar words (as in car)

or words (as in fork)

er words (as in her)

ir words (as in bird)

ur words (as in fur)

R-controlled vowels game: listen and find

Hear a word from the list and pick it from four look-alike words. Eight rounds, about two minutes.

R-controlled vowels spelling game: build the word

Hear a word and build it from letter tiles, one sound at a time. Letter pairs like sh or ck come as one tile, because they spell one sound. Six rounds.

Short answer

What are r-controlled vowels?

An r-controlled vowel is a vowel followed by the letter r, where the r changes the vowel's sound so it is neither short nor long. The five main spellings are ar as in car, or as in fork, and er, ir and ur, which all spell the same sound, as in her, bird and fur. They are often called bossy r words and are usually taught in first grade, after short vowels, blends and digraphs.

ar says /ar/ as in car, star and farm.
or says /or/ as in corn, fork and storm.
er, ir and ur all spell the same sound, heard in her, bird and fur.
Because er, ir and ur sound alike, choosing the right one is mainly a spelling challenge.

About r-controlled vowels

In an r-controlled vowel, the r takes over the vowel before it. The a in cat and the a in car are the same letter, but the sounds are different, and the difference comes from the r. Children who have learned that a says /a/ will read car as ca-r, with a short a and a separate r, so it helps to teach ar, or and the others as units, the same way you would teach sh or ee. Many teachers call this bossy r, because the r bosses the vowel into a new sound.

Start with ar and or, because each has one clear sound and there is little to confuse: car, star, farm; corn, fork, storm. Then introduce er, ir and ur together, and tell your child plainly that they all say the same sound. In General American English that sound is a single r-coloured vowel, with no separate vowel before the r, so her, bird and fur all share it. For reading, a child only needs to know that all three say that sound. For spelling, there is no reliable rule for which to choose, so the words are learned in groups, and er is by far the most common, especially at the end of longer words like sister and faster.

Watch for a few exceptions once the basics are secure. After w, or often sounds like er: word, work and world. And ar after w often sounds like or: war and warm. These patterns come later and do not need to be taught at the start. The words on this page all follow the main pattern, so a child who knows the five spellings can read every one of them.

R-controlled vowels in sentences

Decodable sentences: every word can be sounded out with the patterns on this page, plus a few very common words.

The girl has a red shirt and skirt.
A bird sat on the fern in the yard.
We saw a shark on the card.
The storm hit the farm.
I can turn the car in the park.
Her dog has short fur.
The first star is out.
Stir the corn with a fork.

Common mix-ups with r-controlled vowels

Splitting the vowel and the r (car as ca-r)

The child reads the vowel as short, then adds an r. Teach ar as one sound: write it on a single card and practise it alone. Then read car as two chunks: c, ar.

er, ir or ur in spelling (burd, gerl)

Since the three sound the same, spelling mistakes are expected and are not a reading problem. Sort words into three columns and practise one group at a time. Tell your child that er is the most common, so it is the best guess in longer words.

or and ar swapped (corn as carn)

Some children mix up the two sounds, especially when reading fast. Practise minimal pairs such as cord and card, form and farm, and ask your child to point to the word you say.

R-controlled vowels activities

Bossy r cards

Make five cards: ar, or, er, ir and ur. Hold one up and your child says the sound. Then show a word with that spelling and read it together. Keep sessions short and use only two cards at first.

Same sound sort

Write words from the er, ir and ur lists on cards. Read each one aloud, and ask your child to sort them into three piles by spelling. Point out that all three piles sound the same; only the letters are different.

Picture chunks

Draw a car and write ar on it, a fork with or, and a bird with ir. Use these pictures as anchors: when your child meets a new word, they find the matching picture to remember the sound.

Add an r

Start with a short vowel word and add an r to change it: cat to cart, fist to first, cub to curb, ham to harm. Your child reads the pair aloud and says what the r did to the vowel sound.

R-controlled vowels: frequently asked questions

What is an r-controlled vowel?

A vowel followed by r, where the r changes the vowel's sound. The main spellings are ar, or, er, ir and ur, as in car, fork, her, bird and fur.

Why are they called bossy r words?

Because the r bosses the vowel into making a different sound, one that is neither short nor long. It is a friendly name that helps children remember the pattern.

Do er, ir and ur make the same sound?

Yes. In American English they all spell the same sound, as in her, bird and fur. The difference is only in spelling.

When are r-controlled vowels taught?

Usually in first grade, after short vowels, consonant blends, digraphs and silent e. Some programmes teach ar and or earlier and er, ir and ur a little later.