Free printable · 2nd grade phonics

Vowels with an r: ar, or, er, ir, ur

When r follows a vowel, the vowel changes its sound. Your child fills in six picture words, sorts nine by sound, and picks the right word in three sentences.

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How to use this in 5 minutes

  1. Hear the change. Say, “With an r after it, a says /ar/, like star, and o says /or/, like fork.”
  2. Three spellings, one sound. Say, “The spellings er, ir and ur all say /er/, as in her, bird and turtle. We learn which one each word uses.”
  3. Fill and sort. Say, “Name each picture and write the missing letters. Then read and sort the words.”

Tip. No rule says when to use er, ir or ur, so skip the drill. Keep a fridge list of the words your child meets, sorted by spelling.

The sheet and its answer key

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2nd grade · Phonics

Vowels with an r: ar, or, er, ir, ur

For youHow to use this in 5 minutes

  1. Hear the change. Say: “With an r after it, a says /ar/, like star, and o says /or/, like fork.”
  2. Three spellings, one sound. Say: “The spellings er, ir and ur all say /er/, as in her, bird and turtle. We learn which one each word uses.”
  3. Fill and sort. Say: “Name each picture and write the missing letters. Then read and sort the words.”

Tip. No rule says when to use er, ir or ur, so skip the drill. Keep a fridge list of the words your child meets, sorted by spelling.

Write ar, or, er, ir or ur

Word bankarorerirur

st
fk
bd
ttle
sht
cn

Read each word. Write it under its sound.

Word bankparkhorngirlfarmburnstormfernsharpporch

ar as in star

or as in fork

er, ir, ur as in bird

Circle the word that fits

  1. A birdbarn sang on the fence.
  2. We ate cordcorn on the cob.
  3. The dog let out a loud barkburn.
Made by Arbor, which plans your child’s whole homeschool year and lays out every lesson for you to teach.Page 1 · arborhomeschool.com
Free printableFor the grown-up

2nd grade · Phonics

Answer key

Vowels with an r: ar, or, er, ir, ur

Write ar, or, er, ir or ur

  • star (ar)
  • fork (or)
  • bird (ir)
  • turtle (ur)
  • shirt (ir)
  • corn (or)

Read each word. Write it under its sound.

  • ar: park, farm, sharp
  • or: horn, storm, porch
  • er, ir, ur: girl, burn, fern

Circle the word that fits

  • A bird sang on the fence.
  • We ate corn on the cob.
  • The dog let out a loud bark.

If it’s hard

  • Mixing up er, ir and ur in spelling is normal for years. Praise the right sound, then show the right spelling.
  • Say each sort word aloud together. The sound is easier to hear than to see.
Made by Arbor, which plans your child’s whole homeschool year and lays out every lesson for you to teach.Page 2 · arborhomeschool.com

Have Arbor plan your child’s whole year

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