R-Controlled Vowels Cheat Sheet (PDF)

The "bossy R" rule on one page: when r follows a vowel it changes the vowel's sound, and the chart shows each pattern with example words.

What’s inside

• ar as in car (car, farm, star, park) and or as in for (corn, fork, storm, short).
• er (fern, her, herd, term), ir (bird, girl, shirt, first) and ur (burn, church, nurse, turn) — three spellings of one sound.
• The one-line rule at the top: the r changes the vowel sound right before it.

Every word in this PDF (18)

Handy for checking the list fits your child before printing, or for making your own games.

car, farm, star, park, corn, fork, storm, fern, her, herd, term, bird, girl, shirt, burn, church, nurse, turn

How to use it

1. Teach ar and or first — they sound clearly different from each other.
2. Then show that er, ir and ur all say the same sound; the spelling has to be remembered word by word.
3. Keep the chart visible while reading so your child can check a pattern.
4. In American English the r is always pronounced; in British English it's often silent — the chart works for both.

Who it’s for

Ages 5–7 in Stage 5.

Where it fits: Stage 5 — Vowel Teams & Tricky Words

Goes well with

• R-Controlled Vowels (Free PDF): ar, er, ir, or, ur
• The ar sound, US and UK audio
• Bossy-R Sort game