R-Controlled Vowels (Bossy R) — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Which spelling is correct for the bird word?
A) berd
B) burd
C) bird
D) bord
Bird is spelled with 'ir'. Er, ur, and or are wrong for this word.
2. Which spelling is correct for the fur word?
A) fer
B) fir
C) fur
D) for
Fur uses the 'ur' pattern. Fir is a tree, not animal hair.
3. Which spelling is correct for the her word?
A) hir
B) hur
C) hor
D) her
Her is spelled with 'er'. The /ur/ sound can also be spelled er.
4. Which spelling is correct for the turn word?
A) tern
B) tirn
C) torn
D) turn
Turn uses 'ur'. Torn means ripped, so it does not fit the meaning.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. A robin is a type of bird.
Bird uses the 'ir' pattern for the bossy-r /ur/ sound.
2. My cat's fur is very soft.
Fur uses 'ur' for the /ur/ sound, not 'er' or 'ir'.
3. Please give the book to her.
Her uses 'er' — one of three ways to spell /ur/.
4. It is my turn to bat now.
Turn uses 'ur' for the /ur/ sound plus n.
5. A little girl skipped down the path.
Girl uses 'ir' for /ur/, like bird and third.