Kids Learning Arcade
Bossy r words
In a bossy r word, the r after a vowel changes its sound: ar in star, or in corn, ir in bird, ur in turtle. Teachers also call these r-controlled vowels.
Updated October 2026. Every word here is a card in Spell the Picture.
ar words
star
jar
arm
yarn
card
dart
scarf
or words
corn
horse
fork
storm
ir words
bird
girl
ur words
turtle
purse
burger
How to use this list
Say the word and listen to the vowel: it isn't the short sound of cat or cot. Ask which two letters make it. Notice that ir and ur often sound the same (bird, turtle), so those are worth extra practice.