When a vowel is followed by the letter r, it makes a special sound. The r changes the way the vowel is pronounced. These are called r-controlled vowels or “bossy r” sounds.
When you see a vowel followed by r, remember the r is in charge of the sound!
The letters ar make the sound /är/ as in car. This sound often feels like the “ah” sound, but the r controls it.
Think of ar as saying “arrr,” like a pirate!
The patterns er, ir, and ur often make the same /ər/ sound. Even though they are spelled differently, they usually sound alike in words.
Don’t worry if they sound the same—use practice to remember which pattern is in each word.
The letters or usually make the /ôr/ sound, like in corn. Sometimes it can sound a little different, but most often it says “or.”
Think of or as saying “or,” like when you choose between two things.
Seeing r-controlled vowels in sentences helps us understand how they are used in real reading.
When you read, listen carefully for the sound the r makes with the vowel.