Why are er, ir and ur hard to spell?

All three make the same sound, as in her, bird and fur, so you cannot hear which one to write. Students sort words like person, birthday and purple to learn each spelling by sight.

When is the or sound spelled ore?

At the end of a word the sound is often spelled ore, as in more, before and explore. In the middle it is usually or, as in storm and corner.

Is there an answer key for each worksheet?

Yes. All four sheets have an answer key that shows every spelling, so a parent or teacher can check the work in a minute.

What spelling patterns do 3rd graders learn?

3rd graders spell long vowels and vowel teams (rain, team, boat), r-controlled vowels (star, fork, bird), common homophones, and words with endings, where the rules for dropping a silent e, doubling a consonant and changing y to i come in (CCSS L.3.2.E and L.3.2.F). Silent letters in words like knee and write round out the year.

How do I know when to double a consonant before adding ing?

Double the last consonant when a one-syllable word ends in one short vowel and one consonant: hop becomes hopping and sit becomes sitting. Words with two vowels or a final e do not double: rain becomes raining and hope becomes hoping. The adding endings pages practice all three rules.

In what order should I use these spelling worksheets?

Start with long vowels and vowel teams, since they are the most common patterns, then r-controlled vowels. Move to adding endings once those feel easy, and use the homophone and silent letter pages as review. Each subtopic on this page holds four sheets.

3rd Grade R-controlled Vowels Worksheets

Ages 8-9 · Free previews · Print-ready PDFs

Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher

Free printable r-controlled vowels worksheets for 3rd grade students (Ages 8-9). Aligned to Common Core standards. Ready to print.

3rd Grade Reading Spelling R-controlled vowels Clear All

Er, Ir and Ur Words

Grade3rd Grade

TopicSpelling

R-Controlled Vowel Review

Grade3rd Grade

TopicSpelling

Spelling Words With Ar

Grade3rd Grade

TopicSpelling

Spelling Words With Or

Grade3rd Grade

TopicSpelling

More spelling worksheets

Explore all of our 3rd grade spelling worksheets, covering spelling list practice, trace and write spelling words, identify correct spelling, color & spell, and more.

Word scrambles Long vowels Vowel teams Homophone spelling Adding endings Silent letters

Frequently Asked Questions

It is a vowel followed by r, where the r changes the vowel sound. The a in car does not sound like the a in cat. Ar, or, er, ir and ur are the common ones.

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3rd Grade R-controlled Vowels Worksheets

Er, Ir and Ur Words

R-Controlled Vowel Review

Spelling Words With Ar

Spelling Words With Or

More spelling worksheets

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an r-controlled vowel?

Why are er, ir and ur hard to spell?

When is the or sound spelled ore?

Is there an answer key for each worksheet?

What spelling patterns do 3rd graders learn?

How do I know when to double a consonant before adding ing?

In what order should I use these spelling worksheets?

What is ClassWeekly?