Looking for a complete collection of r-controlled vowels word lists?
When vowels team up with the letter “r,” they create unique sounds that don’t follow typical phonics patterns.
Think about how “car” sounds different from “cat” or how “bird” doesn’t rhyme with “hide.”
These r-controlled vowel patterns appear in thousands of common English words and are essential building blocks for reading success.
The words below are organized by pattern: ar, er, ir, or, and ur.
This organization makes it easier for students, teachers, and parents to practice these important sound combinations through clear examples and practical activities.
What Are R-Controlled Vowels?
R-controlled vowels occur when the letter “r” follows a vowel in a word, changing how that vowel sounds.
Unlike standard vowel sounds, these vowels don’t make their typical short or long sounds because the “r” affects their pronunciation.
The five common r-controlled vowel combinations are: “ar” as in car, “er” as in her, “ir” as in bird, “or” as in corn, and “ur” as in turn.
Each combination creates a unique sound that’s neither long nor short.
For example, the “a” in “star” doesn’t sound like the “a” in “cat” or “cake”; it’s controlled by the “r.”
These special sound patterns are sometimes called “bossy r” because the “r” bosses the vowel sound around!
Why Are R-Controlled Vowels Important?
R-controlled vowels play a crucial role in reading and spelling development.
They create unique sounds that don’t follow typical vowel patterns.
These special combinations appear in about 10% of single-syllable English words.
Many students find them challenging because the sounds can seem unpredictable.
They include several exceptions to standard rules.
For example, “worm” sounds different from “form” even though both use the “or” pattern.
Mastering these vowel sounds helps children become more confident readers and spellers.
This allows them to decode unfamiliar words and improve their literacy skills.
Teaching r-controlled vowels explicitly helps bridge this important phonics gap.
R Controlled Vowels Word List
Below you’ll find the lists of words containing r-controlled vowels, organized by pattern.
These lists include both simple and more advanced words that demonstrate each sound.
You can use these collections for reading practice or spelling activities.
Each category shows how the vowel sound changes when followed by the letter “r”, one of the special features that makes English pronunciation interesting!
1. AR Words List
The “ar” sound is a common r-controlled vowel pattern. When “a” is followed by “r,” it makes a special sound like in “car.”
This list includes simple words like “bar,” “star,” and “part” for beginners, as well as longer words like “garden” and “cartoon.”
The “ar” sound stays consistent in different positions within words.
For example, in “target,” the “ar” comes at the beginning, while in “guitar,” it appears at the end.
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Bar
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Car
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Far
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Jar
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Star
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Tar
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Par
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Mar
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Scar
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Spar
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Char
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War
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Lard
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Hard
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Yard
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Dart
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Part
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Cart
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Art
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Arch
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Bark
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Dark
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Park
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Shark
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Smart
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Alarm
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Apart
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Guitar
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Garden
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Market
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Harvest
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Target
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Remark
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Cartoon
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Bizarre
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Arsenal
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Arcade
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Discard
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Embark
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Depart
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Hardship
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Starches
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Recharge
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Restart
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Disarm
Practice reading these words aloud to strengthen recognition of the “ar” pattern.
Try using them in sentences to build fluency and reinforce proper pronunciation.
2. ER Words List
The “er” sound is very common in English, especially at the ends of words.
When “e” is followed by “r,” it creates a sound like in “her” or “term.”
This list includes simple words like “verb,” “perk,” and “serve.”
Many “er” words name people who do things, like “teacher,” “runner,” and “farmer.”
For example, in the word “winter,” the “er” comes at the end and makes that distinct controlled sound.
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Her
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Term
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Germ
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Verb
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Perk
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Nerd
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Clerk
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Serve
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Nerve
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Jerk
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Fern
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Tiger
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Ladder
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Butter
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Paper
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Water
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Teacher
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Runner
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Dancer
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Reader
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Jumper
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Boxer
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Driver
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Farmer
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Helper
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Walker
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Banker
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Painter
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Leader
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Seller
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Waiter
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Player
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Deliver
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Reporter
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Designer
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Anger
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Mutter
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Charter
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Hammer
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Wander
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Winter
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Super
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Cover
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Slumber
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Whisper
Notice how many job titles end with the “er” sound.
Try creating your own sentences using these words, focusing on the consistent “er” sound no matter where it appears in the word.
3. IR Words List
The “ir” sound occurs when “i” is followed by “r,” creating a unique sound like in “bird” or “girl.”
This list features simple words such as “dirt,” “shirt,” and “stir.”
You’ll also see longer words like “birthday,” “virtual,” and “confirm.”
For example, in the word “thirsty,” the “ir” makes that special controlled vowel sound that’s different from a regular short “i.”
The “ir” sound remains consistent whether it appears in short words or longer, more complex ones.
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Bird
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Girl
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Stir
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Dirt
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Shirt
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Skirt
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Sir
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Chirp
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Swirl
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Whirl
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Third
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Birth
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Girth
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Squirt
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Flirt
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Quirk
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Smirk
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Squirrel
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Thirst
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Twirl
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Gird
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Birthday
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Thirty
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Dirty
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Girlie
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Stirrup
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Circle
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Virtual
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Firmly
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Shirtless
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Confirm
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Firstborn
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Rebirth
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Flirting
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Spirited
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Disturb
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Curtains
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Confirmed
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Squirreled
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Sirloin
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Swirling
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Girdle
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Chirping
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Thirsty
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Turning
The “ir” pattern is less common than some other r-controlled vowels but appears in many important everyday words.
Try grouping these words by themes or categories to help remember their spelling patterns.
4. OR Words List
The “or” sound happens when “o” is followed by “r,” creating a sound like in “for” and “corn.”
This list includes simple words like “horn,” “storm,” and “sport.”
You’ll notice some exceptions where “or” makes a different sound, such as in “word” and “work,” which sound more like “er.”
For example, in “morning,” the “or” makes the typical controlled vowel sound, but in “sword,” the pronunciation is different.
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For
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Corn
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Born
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Horn
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Torn
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Worn
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Storm
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Short
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Port
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Fort
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Sort
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Sport
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Snort
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Scorn
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Thorn
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Cork
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Fork
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Chord
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Sword (exception in pronunciation)
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Word (exception, sounds like ER)
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Work (exception, sounds like ER)
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Worth (exception, sounds like ER)
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World (exception, sounds like ER)
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Worse (exception, sounds like ER)
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Lord
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Morning
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Corner
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Border
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Forget
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Absorb
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Adore
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Record
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Explore
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Ignore
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Inform
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Restore
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Report
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Effort
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Discord
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Before
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Anymore
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Enforce
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Support
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Forecast
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Reorder
Pay special attention to the exceptions in this list, as they can be confusing for new readers.
Creating separate practice groups for regular “or” words and exception words can help reinforce the different pronunciation patterns.
5. UR Words List
The “ur” sound occurs when “u” is followed by “r,” making a sound like in “fur” and “turn.”
This list includes simple words like “burn,” “curl,” and “hurt” that clearly show this pattern.
You’ll also find longer words such as “purpose,” “surface,” and “curtain.”
For example, in the word “turtle,” the “ur” creates that distinctive controlled vowel sound.
The “ur” sound stays consistent across different words, whether they’re short one-syllable words or longer words like “disturb” and “purchase.”
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Fur
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Turn
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Burn
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Curb
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Surf
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Blur
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Spur
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Curl
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Slur
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Hurl
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Lurk
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Burst
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Nurse
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Hurt
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Purse
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Purple
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Turtle
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Furrow
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Surface
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Furnace
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Purpose
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Return
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Curtain
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Curfew
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Nurture
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Surfer
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Burglar
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Further
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Turning
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Murmur
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Purchase
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Current
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Surgery
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Hurried
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Pursuit
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Resurface
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Disturbance
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Nurtured
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Enduring
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Occurred
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Surpass
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Insure
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Secure
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Endure
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Injure
Many “ur” words relate to actions or describe movement, making them great for creating action sentences or stories.
Try highlighting the “ur” pattern in different colors to help visual learners recognize this sound pattern more easily.
Common Challenges & How to Address Them
R-controlled vowels present several challenges for young readers.
Exceptions like “heart” (which doesn’t sound like most “ar” words) can confuse students.
To help, teach these irregular words separately as sight words.
Students often mix up similar-sounding patterns like “er,” “ir,” and “ur.”
Try using memorable phrases for each sound: “her first bird” (er), “the girl twirls” (ir), and “a purple turtle” (ur).
Creating visual cues helps too, use different colors for each pattern or hand motions to represent different sounds.
Regular practice with word sorts, where students group words by sound rather than spelling, builds stronger recognition skills.
Teaching Tips and Activities to Learn R-Controlled Vowels
Learning r-controlled vowels can be fun with the right activities.
Here are some effective ways to help students master these special vowel sounds:
- Color-code r-controlled vowel patterns to make them easier to spot and remember.
- Sort words by their patterns (ar, er, ir, or, ur) to build recognition skills.
- Play R-Controlled Vowel Bingo using these word lists to make practice exciting.
- Record students reading aloud to help them hear and correct their pronunciation.
- Use word cards for daily practice, moving from simple to complex words gradually.
These activities turn learning into play while building important reading skills.
Start with just one pattern before introducing others, and always celebrate progress to keep motivation high!
The Bottom Line
R-controlled vowels word lists serve as valuable tools for developing reading fluency and spelling accuracy.
These special vowel patterns can be tricky at first.
Regular practice with organized word examples helps students quickly recognize these important sound combinations.
Teachers can use these lists for classroom activities. Parents can reference them during reading practice.
Students can study them to improve decoding skills.
Keep this page handy whenever you need examples of words containing ar, er, ir, or, and ur patterns.
These sound combinations are key to mastering English reading and spelling.
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