ShortBossy R (er/ir/ur) word family
-er Words
/ɜr/ — words that share the -er pattern
Er, ir, and ur all spell the exact same sound, /ɜr/. This is the trickiest bossy-r idea, because a learner cannot tell which spelling to use just by listening. True one-syllable -er words are rare; her and per are the clearest examples.
How the -er family works
Keep the ending -er together, then add or change the beginning sound. Read through the whole word from left to right instead of guessing from its first letter.
2 reviewed examples
-er word list
Begin with the shorter words. Add the second group only after blends and digraphs in those words have been taught.
Start here
A speaker appears only where a reviewed recording is currently available. Every listed spelling has still been checked for the target pattern.
Teach the right examples first
Why this -er pattern is useful
Teach the three-spellings idea directly
Er, ir, and ur are three different spellings for the exact same sound. Learners need to know this is a spelling choice, not a sound they can puzzle out by ear alone.
Keep this family small and honest
There are very few common one-syllable words that use er for /ɜr/. Padding the list with longer words such as teacher would blur the pattern rather than teach it clearly.
Use her and per in real sentences
Even with just two core words, this family is useful because her appears constantly in everyday reading and speech.
Move to -ir and -ur next
Once learners accept that /ɜr/ has multiple spellings, the -ir and -ur families give them far more common words to practise.
Listening check
Listen and choose the -er word
Question 1 of 2
Now read the same words aloud and use one in a sentence.
Explore another familyMove into connected text
Read -er words in sentences
1Give it to her.
2Ten dollars per day.
3Her plan was clear.
4The prize is per team, not per person.
5It belongs to her.
Ask the learner to underline the -er word, decode it, and then reread the complete sentence naturally.
Spelling and pronunciation
Keep this family accurate
This family is intentionally small. Most /ɜr/ words are spelled ir or ur instead, especially in one-syllable words. Longer words such as teacher use -er, but those are a separate, later spelling pattern.
A common question
Why are there so few -er words?
True one-syllable -er words for /ɜr/ are rare in English. Her and per are the clearest examples. Most other common /ɜr/ words, such as bird, girl, fur, and turn, use the ir or ur spelling instead, even though they sound identical to er.
Five-minute routine
Practise without memorizing the list
Cover the list and reveal one word at a time. Say each sound, blend, then reread the word normally.
Build her, then exchange its first sound to make another real word from this page.
Read one sentence, dictate one target word, and ask the learner to explain which letters spell the shared ending.
Ready-to-print practice
Print this -er word lesson
The print layout keeps the reviewed word list, sentences, contrast, and practice routine while removing navigation and audio controls.