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ER, IR & OR Word Search for Kids

Here is a free printable R Controlled vowels word search with ER, IR and OR words for kids to find.

This easy printable word search is perfect for early elementary school students around 2nd grade.

A word search is a fun way for children to work on learning about the bossy R. The bossy R is when the R bosses the vowel ahead of it to make a new sound.

The pdf of this R controlled vowels worksheet can be downloaded free below.

Free printable r controlled vowels word search for kids around 2nd grade.  The word puzzle focuses on the phonics sound of the bossy R.  There are 22 hidden words for kids to find.  They are ER, IR & OR words.  Skill level is easy and the letters are large print.  It's black and white.

Skill Level

This is an easy beginner level word search.

The large print word puzzle has 22 hidden bossy R words for children to find and circle.

Kids learn about R controlled vowels in 1st & 2nd grade. The hidden words are mostly grade 2 spelling words with some 1st grade words. This puzzle is ideal for kids around 6 or 7 years old, or around second grade.

The words are only hidden horizontally and vertically. There are no diagonal words. All the words are forward facing, in the direction easiest to read. No words are backwards, making it easier for kids to find.

Bossy R Words

The bossy R word search has ER, IR and OR words for kids to find.

ER Words

There are 8 hidden ER words:

  • answer
  • her
  • number
  • other
  • over
  • under
  • very
  • water

IR Words

6 IR words to find:

  • bird
  • birth
  • circus
  • first
  • girl
  • sir

OR Words

8 OR words:

  • born
  • corn
  • form
  • more
  • short
  • word
  • work
  • world

R Controlled Vowels Worksheet

This word search would be a fun spelling activity for 2nd graders learning the phonics of R controlled vowels.

And for kids learning the ER, IR & OR spelling words of this grade 2 spelling list, the 10 words on the list are included in this puzzle.

To make it really simple for kids, you might decide to break it up a bit. You could choose to have the kids focus on only finding the words of the R controlled vowel sound you are learning at the time.

So for example, the day they are learning about ER words, they could search for just the ER words of the puzzle. They could look for the IR & OR words another time when learning about those phonics sounds.

Download & Print

The R controlled vowels word search of the ER, IR & OR is free to download and print.

The printable pdf includes an answer page.

For more r-controlled vowels activities, check out this bossy R word search that has AR & UR words.

Answer Key

Here is the color-coded answer key for this R-controlled vowels word search:

An R-controlled vowels word search answer key. The answer key is color-coded, making it easy to find all 22 hidden ER, IR & OR words.