R controlled vowels are vowels followed by the letter r, where the r changes the vowel's sound, as in car, fork, her, bird and fur. Kids often call it bossy r. This guide gives you fresh word lists for ar, or, er, ir and ur, tips for the three spellings of the er sound, and simple games.
You'll also see it written as r-controlled, with a hyphen. It means the same thing.
Reading Universe, a teacher resource from WETA, the Barksdale Reading Institute and First Book, defines an r-controlled vowel as a vowel followed by the consonant r, like the ar in card. In these patterns the vowel doesn't make its usual short sound. The r changes, or controls, the sound, which is why some people call it bossy r. You may also hear the name vowel-r.
There are five: ar, or, er, ir and ur. Reading Universe uses arm for ar, fork for or, and fern, bird and surf for the other three, which all make the same sound.
Why do kids stumble? Reading Universe points out that bossy r words look a lot like short vowel words. Cat and car both have one vowel and a consonant after it, but only cat has a short a. Teach your child to touch the vowel and "look next door." If the very next letter is r, the vowel will sound different.
These practice words were chosen for this page. Start with one-syllable words like these before longer ones.
ar (as in arm): jar, star, yard, shark, harp, scarf.
or (as in fork): corn, storm, sport, north, porch, torch.
er (as in her): perch, term, clerk, stern, plus longer words like helper, painter and taller.
ir (as in bird): dirt, shirt, skirt, swirl, chirp, third.
ur (as in fur): curl, burst, churn, slurp, turf, church.
In longer words, bossy r can turn up at the start, the end or both. Reading Universe gives perfect, hunger and order as examples.
When an e comes after the r. Reading Universe notes words like care, fire and pure keep a long vowel sound, while words like more use the or sound, so it teaches them as word families. Some to try: share, stare and scare; fire and campfire; store, snore and chore.
Reading Universe describes ar, or and er as blended sounds shaped by the r, and suggests teaching them with key words rather than mouth positions. In other words, these sounds are easier to copy than to explain. A few tips:
Say it as one sound. Ar should come out smooth, as in car. Not "ah" and then a separate "rrr."
Use a key word every time. Say the letters, the key word, then the sound: "a, r, arm, ar." Repeat with fork and bird.
Add a motion. Reading Universe shows a teacher pointing to her arm for ar, with motions for bird and horn too. Make up your own at home: point to your arm, flap your elbows like wings, honk a pretend horn.
Use a mirror. Say car and cat in a mirror and talk about how they feel different.
Er, ir and ur all say the same sound, as in her, bird and fur. Some teachers call them the er triplets. Reading Universe is honest about this: there's no reliable rule for which spelling to use. That's why it suggests teaching them for reading first and for spelling more slowly, with lots of practice.
Helpful ideas for home:
Er is the best first guess. Reading Universe says er is the most common spelling of the sound, partly because of the ending -er.
Notice the -er ending. It can mean a person who does something (teacher, runner), more (faster, smaller), or a thing that does something (printer). If one of those meanings fits, er is a strong guess, though a few words like doctor use or instead.
Tell, don't quiz, at first. When your child spells bird, say "this one uses ir" before they write. Teachers on Reading Universe do the same.
Keep a three-column list. Head a page er, ir and ur. Each time you meet a new word in a book, add it to the right column. Seeing the same words often is how spellings stick.
Reading Universe begins in first grade with ar and or, because their sounds are distinct and easier to recognize. Er, ir and ur come later. Before starting, it says children should know which letters are vowels and consonants, know short and long vowel sounds, have a basic idea of what a syllable is, and read and spell short vowel words and words that end in a vowel, like go.
If short vowels are still shaky, practice those first with our short vowel sounds guide, since bossy r only makes sense once your child knows what the vowel usually says.
Pirate voice. Read ar words in your best pirate voice: jar, star, shark, yard. It's a silly, memorable way to practice the ar sound.
Look next door. Pick a page in any book. Your child hunts for vowels with an r right after them and reads those words.
ar or or sort. Mix cards like barn, corn, park, fork, card and storm. Sort them into two piles.
Change one letter. Make a chain with letter tiles, adding or changing one letter each time: car, card, cord, cork, fork, fort, form, farm. Read each new word aloud.
Er detective. Read a short page together and hunt for the er sound. Write each word you find in your three-column list.
Rhyme families. Say store, then take turns adding rhymes: more, chore, snore, shore.
This is an example only. Start with ar and or before mixing in the er sound.
One minute: key words and motions for ar and or.
Two minutes: the change one letter chain.
One minute: an ar or or sort with six cards.
One minute: spell two words, telling your child which spelling to use.
Ar, or, er, ir and ur, as in arm, fork, fern, bird and surf.
Because the r "bosses" the vowel before it, so the vowel no longer makes its usual short sound.
There's no reliable rule. Er is the most common spelling, and lots of reading and practice helps children remember the rest.
Often first grade for ar and or, with er, ir and ur practiced over time.
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Connecting R-Controlled Vowels to Other Phonics Skills (Reading Universe)
How to Teach Articulation: Vowels, Diphthongs, and Vowel-r (Reading Universe)