Vowel + r (er, ir, ur)

Front

What is a vowel?

Back

A vowel is a letter in the alphabet that represents a speech sound made without any closure or blockage of the vocal tract. The vowels in English are A, E, I, O, U (and sometimes Y).

Front

What does 'vowel + r' mean?

Back

'Vowel + r' refers to a combination of a vowel followed by the letter 'r', which often changes the sound of the vowel. Examples include 'er', 'ir', and 'ur'.

Front

What is the sound of 'er' in words?

Back

The 'er' sound is pronounced like 'ur' in 'her', 'bird', and 'fur'.

Front

What is the sound of 'ir' in words?

Back

The 'ir' sound is pronounced like 'er' in 'bird', 'girl', and 'shirt'.

Front

What is the sound of 'ur' in words?

Back

The 'ur' sound is pronounced like 'er' in 'fur', 'burn', and 'turn'.

Front

Give an example of a word with 'er'.

Back

An example of a word with 'er' is 'herb'.

Front

Give an example of a word with 'ir'.

Back

An example of a word with 'ir' is 'bird'.

Front

Give an example of a word with 'ur'.

Back

An example of a word with 'ur' is 'fur'.

Front

What is a common mistake with the word 'perfect'?

Back

A common mistake is spelling it as 'pirfect' or 'purfect'.

Front

What is a common mistake with the word 'birthday'?

Back

A common mistake is spelling it as 'berthday' or 'burthday'.