Diphthongs Worksheet — R-Patterns (Free PDF)
Write & read practice for diphthong + r combinations.
The three trickier r-patterns — the sounds in ear, air and cure — with their less common spellings, usually taught after oi/oy and ou/ow.
What’s inside
- An instructions page.
- EAR sound (ear, eer, ere, ier): ear, h-ear, f-ear, b-eer, p-eer, h-ere…
- AIR sound (air, are, ear, ere): air, b-are, b-ear, p-air, p-ear, r-are… and URE words (ure says /yoor/, as in cure).
Every word in this PDF (33)
Handy for checking the list fits your child before printing, or for making your own games.
beer, hear, peer, fear, here, near, mere, clear, pier, deer, tier, pair, bare, pear, bear, rare, care, share, chair, spare, dare, stare, fair, there, glare, ware, hair, wear, hare, cure, pure, secure, impure
How to use it
- Do the ear page first, using the core spelling ear before eer and ere.
- Then the air page; notice that bear and pear use ear but say air.
- Blend and write each word.
- Keep a list of the spellings your child finds in books.
Who it’s for
Ages 6–7, end of Stage 5 (ear, air, ure are the last three core sounds).
Where it fits: Stage 5 — Vowel Teams & Tricky Words
Goes well with
Teach phonics online — one short lesson a day
Sign in free and follow a plan that remembers where you are. Right here in your browser, on phone, tablet or computer — nothing to download.
- 92 step-by-step lessons, SATPIN first
- Big flashcards to show your child
- Games, checkpoints and progress for every sound
For little ones (2–6) there’s also our sound-play game on iPhone & iPad and Android.