10 printable sets · answer key on every set

R-Controlled Vowels Worksheets

CCSS RF.2.3.b
20 items per set
Answer key included

What this skill is

Recognizing that a vowel followed by r doesn't make its usual short or long sound — the ar in car, the ir in bird.

When it comes up: Second grade, often taught right alongside vowel teams.

The mistake to watch for

Sounding out the vowel on its own first, then adding the r as an afterthought — turning "car" into "ca-er".

How to help

Same approach as vowel teams: practice ar, er, ir, or, and ur as single sound units before reading them inside full words.

Next: Contractions, a spelling pattern rather than a sound pattern.

A worked example

In 'bird', the r changes the vowel sound. The letters 'ir' make the /ur/ sound — the same sound as 'er' in 'fern' and 'ur' in 'turn'.

Words to know

vowel: The letters a, e, i, o and u. Every syllable has a vowel sound.
sound: What you hear when you say a letter or a word.
letter: One of the symbols we use to write words, like a, b or c.
consonant: Any letter that is not a vowel, like b, c, d or f.

Practice

Name the r-controlled vowel in each word.

Showing Set 1 · 20 items

Which r-controlled vowel is in 'corn'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'girl'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'burn'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'first'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'verb'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'park'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'shirt'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'storm'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'fort'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'car'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'term'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'her'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'curl'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'for'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'turn'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'farm'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'bird'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'fern'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'star'?
Which r-controlled vowel is in 'fur'?

Download this set20 items · answer key included PDF

Answer key

All 10 sets

Each set is a different list of 20 items with its own answer key. Use the buttons above to look at one on this page, or download any of them as a PDF.

How these sheets were made

Problems are generated for each set and checked against RF.2.3.b before the sheet is built — no duplicates, and every problem falls inside the standard's number range.