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

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Phonics - Or sound

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or sound song
Chant and blend words with the OR sound.

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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

Consonants
Letter B	Hard C	Soft C
Letter D	Letter F	Hard G
Soft G	Letter H	Letter J
Letter K	Letter L	Letter M
Letter N	Letter P	Letter Q
Letter R	Letter S	Letter T
Letter V	Letter W	Letter X
Letter Y	Letter Z

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