learn to read the r-controlled vowel teams er, ir, ur

So, just to keep you on your toes, sometimes the letter r changes the sound of the vowel.

ir, er and ur all make the same new sound: /ər/

ir bird

ir is usually found in the middle of a word

bird, first, dirt, chirp

er is found in the middle or the end of a word

fern, herd, letter, otter, tiger

ur is usually found in the middle of a word

turtle, burn, turnip, curb, nurse