OR sound
Videos and songs to help First Grade kids learn how to pronounce the OR digraph sound. Learn words that have the OR sound.
Learn the OR sound
The “ar” sound in English is a single sound, even though it’s spelled with two letters. It’s called an “r-controlled vowel” because the “r” changes the way the vowel “o” is pronounced.
Examples and Practice:
Here are some words to practice the “or” sound:
Examples: or, for, more, born, corn, form, north, short, sport
Other Spellings that Can Sound Like “or”
Sometimes other spellings can produce a similar sound to “or”:
aw: law, saw, draw
au: August, author, cause
oar: board, roar, soar
Try saying these words slowly, paying attention to the rounding of your lips and the position of your tongue.
The following diagram shows some words with the OR sound and some words with the OR sound. Practice saying these words. Scroll down the page for more examples.
Common Mistakes to Avoid:
- Saying a short “o” sound: The “or” sound is different from the short “o” sound in words like “hot” or “dog.”
- Not rounding the lips enough: The lip rounding is important for the “o” part of the sound.
- Overemphasizing the “r” sound: The “r” should blend smoothly with the “o.”
Bossy R | OR Words
Phonics - Or sound
or sound song
Chant and blend words with the OR sound.
| R-Controlled Vowels & Digraphs | ||
|---|---|---|
| AR Sound | Er,Ir,Ur | OR Sound |
| Ar,Er,Ir,Or,Ur | Ou, Ow | Oi, Oy |
| OO Sound | ||
Learn the sound of the letters
Learning Short Vowels
| Short Vowels | ||
|---|---|---|
| Short A | Short E | Short I |
| Short O | Short U | Short Vowels |
Learning Long Vowels
| Long Vowels | ||
|---|---|---|
| Long A | Long E | Long I |
| Long O | Long U | Y (vowel) |
| Long Vowels | Short & Long Vowels | |
Compare Short & Long Vowels
| Short & Long Vowels | ||
|---|---|---|
| Short & Long A | Short & Long E | Short & Long I |
| Short & Long O | Short & Long U | |
Learning Consonants
Check out our most popular games!
Fraction Concoction Game:
Master fractions in the lab: mix, add, and subtract beakers to create the perfect concoction!
Fact Family Game:
Complete fact families and master the link between addition & subtraction and multiplication & division.
Number Bond Garden:
Clear the board by matching number pairs that sum to ten in this garden-themed mental math puzzle.
Online Addition Subtraction Game:
Practice your addition and subtraction skills to help the penguin find its mummy.
We welcome your feedback, comments and questions about this site or page. Please submit your feedback or enquiries via our Feedback page.