R-Controlled Vowels (Bossy R) — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. I gave her a big hug goodbye.
Her uses the 'er' bossy-r pattern. The r bosses the e so it does not say /e/ like bed. Instead 'er' says /ur/.
2. A green fern grows by the pond.
Fern has the 'er' pattern. Bossy r takes the e and makes /ur/. Fern rhymes with her because they share the /ur/ ending.
3. Wash your hands to kill every germ.
Germ uses 'er' which sounds like /ur/. The r bosses the e, so the word ends with the /urm/ sound, not a short e sound.
4. The blue bird flew up to its nest.
Bird uses the 'ir' bossy-r pattern. The r bosses the i so it does not say short /i/ like in sit. Instead 'ir' says /ur/, just like 'er'.
5. That little girl wears a pink bow.
Girl has the 'ir' pattern. Bossy r takes charge of the i and together they make /ur/. Girl rhymes with curl and swirl.
6. I stir the soup with a big spoon.
Stir ends with the 'ir' bossy-r sound /ur/. The r bosses the i into a new sound. Stir rhymes with fir and sir.
7. I came in third place in the race.
Third uses the 'ir' pattern for /ur/. The r changes the i sound. Notice how third sounds like 'thurd' — the i does not say /i/ here.
8. My new shirt has blue stripes on it.
Shirt has 'ir' which says /ur/. Bossy r makes the i change its sound. Shirt rhymes with dirt and flirt.
9. Grandpa can turn red when he hears a joke.
Watch out — red has a short e sound, not a bossy-r sound. Compare red and her: the r at the end of her bosses the e, but red only has r after the vowel — the e still says short /e/.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
her
→ er word meaning 'that female'
ir word with /url/
bird
→ ir word for an animal with wings
er word for a tiny sick-maker
germ
→ er word for a tiny sick-maker
er word meaning 'that female'
girl
→ ir word with /url/
ir word for an animal with wings
Even though 'er' and 'ir' both say /ur/, they are spelled differently. Her and germ use 'er'; bird and girl use 'ir'. Remembering the spelling pattern helps you write these words correctly.