Sounds and Spelling: er, ir and ur

1Three spellings, one sound

Say these words: her, girl, turn. Listen to the middle. Can you hear the same sound in all three?

It is the same sound, but it has three spellings: er, ir and ur. Today you will learn to hear this sound and to choose the right spelling.

2The sound

Open your mouth a little, keep your tongue in the middle and say “errr”, without rolling the r. That is the sound in her, girl and turn.

There is no easy rule for which spelling to use. The best way is to learn the words in groups, like the table above.

3Listen carefully

At the end of a longer word, -er is short and soft: teacher, sister, taller. You hardly hear it. That is not the strong “errr” sound of her.

4Chant: The girl in the purple shirt

The first girl in the purple shirt
Turned to her friend and said, “Don't get hurt!”
On Thursday it's her birthday, hurray!
Thirty birds will sing for her all day!

Find the words with the “errr” sound: first, girl, purple, shirt, turned, her, hurt, Thursday, birthday, thirty, birds.

Your turn: speak and write

Speak: Say the chant with a friend. Stamp your foot on every “errr” word.

Write: Make three columns, er, ir and ur. Write each word from the chant in the right column. Then write two sentences about a friend, using curly, shirt or birthday.

Try it yourself

Write your answers in your exercise book, then check.