Bossy r: er ir ur
Three different spellings, one sound. When in doubt, er is the most common.
What this skill is
When r follows a vowel it changes it. The vowel and the r are read as one chunk. Words here: her, herd, fern, term, bird.
Three ways to teach it at home
- Say it as a story: the r bosses the vowel and it does not get to say its own sound.
- Read the vowel and the r as one chunk, not as two separate sounds.
- For er, ir and ur, do not try to teach a rule for which spelling to use. Teach that they sound the same and that er is the most common, and let the spelling come from seeing the word.
The full word list
Every word here uses only spellings taught at or before this rung, so nothing needs guessing. Print it, or read it down the column together.
her · herd · fern · term · bird · girl · shirt · skirt · first · third · dirt · burn · turn · hurt · curl · purse · nurse · surf · after · under · over · winter · summer · sister · never · letter · better · water · paper
Where this sits in the ladder
Comes after
Opens next
This is the top of its strand.
Questions people actually ask
What grade is "bossy r: er ir ur"?
It sits in grade 2 in most sequences, and it is aligned to RF.2.3. In Ladderbug it opens once bossy r: or is solid — grade labels are a rough guide, and readiness is what actually matters.
Is this game free?
Yes. This page needs no account, no email and no card, and there are no advertisements. It saves progress in your own browser.
This is one rung of 82.
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