R-Controlled Vowels — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The brave tiger in the zoo paced in its cage.
Tiger ends in er. Er makes the /ur/ sound you also hear in her and never.
2. I finished my homework first before dinner.
First uses ir. The ir pattern makes the /ur/ sound you also hear in bird and girl.
3. The nurse checked my ears and took my temperature.
Nurse uses ur. The ur pattern makes the /ur/ sound you also hear in hurt and turn.
4. I have never missed a single day of school.
Never ends in er. Er makes the /ur/ sound like in her and tiger.
5. The boy gave the rope a sharp jerk.
Jerk uses er. Er in jerk makes the /ur/ sound you also hear in her and never.
6. A little bird hopped onto the branch.
Bird uses ir. Ir makes the /ur/ sound you also hear in girl and first.
7. Please turn off the lights before bed.
Turn uses ur. The ur pattern makes the /ur/ sound you also hear in curl and hurt.
8. The kitten pressed her soft fur against me.
Fur uses ur. Ur, ir, and er all spell the same /ur/ sound, but each word picks one spelling.
9. The green fern grew tall in the pot.
Fern uses er. Er makes the /ur/ sound you also hear in her and never.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
bird
→ an animal with feathers that can fly
an animal with feathers that can fly
nurse
→ a helper who cares for sick people
a helper who cares for sick people
tiger
→ a big striped wild cat
a big striped wild cat
first
→ the one at the front of a line
the one at the front of a line
These words all end in the /ur/ sound but use ir, ur, and er spellings, showing three ways to spell one sound.