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Comprehensive Vocalic R Words List for Speech Therapy

While one of the most common sounds in the English language, the vocalic /r/ can be challenging to pronounce. 

This can be because it’s hard to understand what is happening with the mouth when it’s pronounced, it requires better muscle control and appears alongside vowels, requiring additional articulation skills. 

If your child struggles with this sound, they may substitute the /r/ sound with /w/, saying ‘fair-wee’ instead of ‘fairy’ or ‘here-wo’ instead of ‘hero’. As a result, they can appear younger than their peers and struggle to communicate effectively. 

In this article, we’ll be focusing on the /vocalic /r/ sound and sharing a list of /r/ words, phrases, and sentences that you can use in home speech therapy or as a resource to support your professional speech therapy practice. 

You’ll also learn which fun games and activities can provide extra practice, discover how to pronounce the sound effectively, and how the patented Forbrain headset can help. 

Word list: Vocalic /r/ word list 

Improving your child’s pronunciation of the vocalic /r/ sound at home can feel like a daunting task because of the many variations of this sound. 

However, if you can help them understand where this sound appears in real-life language and give them plenty of varied practice, you will soon see a difference. 

To help you out, we’ve created a comprehensive list of the most common vocalic /r/ sounds used in English. This includes words where this sound appears in the middle (medial vocalic /r/) or end (final vocalic /r/) of the word. 

Use this list as an easy reference or encourage your child to read through them for extra practice. 

What is the vocalic /r/ sound?

Before we introduce the list of words, let’s take a quick look at what this sound is. 

The vocalic /r/ sound is a type of /r/ that happens when the letter appears after one of the vowels; a, e, i, o, and u. 

For example, the /r/ at the beginning of the word ‘ripe’ is pronounced differently from the /r/ that appears at the end of the word ‘pour’. 

There are six of these combinations in English:

• [-ar] as in the word STAR
• [-er] as in the word GIRL
• [-air] as in the word FAIRY
• [-ear] as in the word FEAR 
• [-or] as in the word SWORD
• [-ire] as in the word FIRE 

Further vocalic /r/ sound practice using short phrases and sentences

Your child should now be able to pronounce the vocalic /r/ sound in isolation, even if it does take a certain amount of effort and focus. The key to actually mastering this sound is to provide them with plenty of practice, using the word lists we provided above and then moving on to short phrases and eventually sentences. 

By doing so, their fluency will significantly improve, they’ll grow in confidence and they’ll also learn how to use their new skills to communicate effectively in a variety of contexts. 

Here’s a short home speech therapy program to help you do exactly this, recommended by the team of experts at Forbrain. 

• Check that your child is articulating the vocalic /r/ sound correctly by working through the wordlist we shared earlier. If not, repeat the articulation exercises until they are reasonably comfortable. 
• Next, use carrier phrases to encourage them to use these words in real-life contexts. 
• Practice using short phrases and sentences for the vocalic /r/ sound. 
• Play child-friendly games and activities and read with your child
• Perfect their skills using our easy-to-use, scientifically proven Forbrain headset.

Carrier phrases

If you want to help your child use these vocalic /r/ words in everyday contexts and get plenty of practice, carrier phrases should be your go-to- speech therapy tool. Just choose a phrase, insert a vocalic /r/ word then practice saying it aloud. 

Considering that there are six variations of the vocalic /r/ sound, we recommend that you practice with at least three words from each category in the word list. 

Here are some of our favorite carrier phrases: 

• “I found a…”
• “I want a…”
• “He found a…”
• “She found a…”
• “I have a…”
• “He has a…”
• “She has a…”
• “I like to…”
• “He likes to…”

Put into practice, it looks like this:

• “I want POPCORN”
• “I like VAMPIRES
• “She has a SPIDER”
• “I see a MARBLE”
• “I found a STAR” 
• “He has CEREAL” 

Short phrases for the vocalic /r/ sound

Keep reading to find useful short phrases that include the vocalic /r/ sound in the middle or the end of the word. 

Use these with your child for extra practice and you’ll help them further improve their pronunciation of the /r/ sound. 

Short sentences for the vocalic /r/ sound

Let’s now take it up a level and start practicing those longer sentences that help further boost confidence, and fluency, and help your child use this sound comfortably in real-world contexts. 

As before, these include the vocalic /r/ sound in the middle and the end of the word. 

Games & Activities with Vocalic /r/ Sound Words 

The best way to learn anything is to make it fun! That’s why playing games and activities with your child is an excellent way to master those tricky speech sounds. 

By doing so, they’ll also grow in confidence and be more likely to want to keep practicing the vocalic /r/ sound. 

Below are some excellent vocalic /r/ sound games and activities that are sure to tick all the boxes and are ideal for use with the patented Forbrain headset.

Play the Roar! Game

The easiest way to practice that vocalic /r/ sound is to encourage your child to roar like a lion.  If you can, find a fun picture of a lion and together, produce an exaggerated /r/ sound then repeat as many times as you like. 

Play the Pretty Parrot Game

This game encourages your child to repeat the sound that they hear. Find a picture of a parrot or even a stuffed toy then place it in front of you. Next, print the list of vocalic /r/ words and cut them out so they become flashcards. 

Hold the cards in your hand and ask your child to pull one from the stack. If your child can’t read the word yet, read it for them and then encourage them to repeat it after you. Every time they get the word right, give them a small reward. 

Play the Lucky Dip Game

If you have the resources available, playing the Lucky Dip game can be a fun way to reinforce their learning and encourage accurate pronunciation. 

Find a box or basket and fill it with items that include the vocalic /r/ sound (check the word list above for ideas), or find free images online and print them out. 

Then cover the box or basket and encourage your child to put their hand inside and pull out an item or picture. When they pull an item or image, encourage them to name it, using the carrier phrase, “ I found a [insert word] ”. 

There’s perhaps no better way to improve overall language skills, spark your child’s imagination and strengthen your parent-child bond than reading a good book with your child. 

Find books that include the vocalic /r/ sound and you’ll reinforce the home speech therapy you’ve been doing and have fun at the same time. 

Read the books in our recommended vocalic /r/ sound list and encourage your child to repeat every /r/ word you come across for the best effect. 

• Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt
• We’re Going On A Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
• Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman
• Clark The Shark by Bruce Hale
• Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson

How to Pronounce the Vocalic /r/ Sounds

Understanding the difference between the ‘normal’ /r/ sound and the vocalic /r/ sound can be tricky because they often appear to be the same sound. 

However, to teach others how to articulate this sound correctly, we need to start by checking what happens with our mouth, airflow, tongue position, teeth alignment, and vocal cords beforehand. 

The vocalic /r/ sound is a voiced sound made primarily by lifting your tongue back and up allowing it to move towards the roof of your mouth. Then the air should pass from your lungs, and over your tongue while you allow your vocal cords to vibrate. 

Here is more specific guidance. 

Pronouncing the vocalic /r/ sound 

Let’s choose one of the words we shared in the /r/ word list above such as ‘dark’ then practice saying it aloud, repeating it several times. 

As you do so, pay close attention to the shape of your mouth and lips, where your tongue is positioned, how the air flows from your lungs, and whether your vocal cords are vibrating or not.

You’ll see that your vocal cords are indeed vibrating, your tongue is pulled back and towards the roof of your mouth, your lips are slightly rounded and the air passes through your mouth and lightly over your tongue. 

Additionally, you’ll see just why it can be so hard for children to articulate this sound. Not only do they need to have excellent control over their tongue position, lips, and airflow but it’s very difficult to see how the sound is made from the outside. 

Despite this fact, most children can master this sound anywhere between three and nine years of age after they have mastered the ‘normal’ /r/ sound. If problems do occur, it’s usually because it’s difficult to transition from these vowel sounds to the /r/, and with practice, it can soon be fixed. 

Work through the vocalic /r/ sound list, phrases, sentences, games, and activities, read together, and use the patented Forbrain headset and your child will get the practice they need and have fun doing it. 

How to help your child produce the vocalic /r/ sound correctly

Ready to help your child get to grips with the vocalic /r/ sound? Follow these steps:

1) Ask your child to relax their tongue. You can encourage them to stick it out as far as they can and wiggle it around like a snake, ask them to blow a whistle, or try touching their nose with their tongue. 

2) Then ask them to find the back of their tongue and ask them to lift it to the roof of their mouth. You can tell them to imagine they are catching a fairy with their tongue if they need extra encouragement. 

3) Finally, ask them to push air from their lungs and use their vocal cords to say the word ‘fairy’. 

If they still find this difficult, keep practicing until they master how to articulate the sound. You can also watch this excellent video by The Speech Scoop for extra speech therapy help.

Using Forbrain to Upgrade Sound Practice

Enhance your child’s learning and mastery of the tricky vocalic /r/ sound by using our patented Forbrain headset. 

Used for just 10 minutes per day, your child will learn how to distinguish the sound, get instant feedback from the enhanced auditory feedback loop, and get the targeted practice they need to overcome speech challenges and grow in confidence. 

Scientifically proven and widely used by professional speech therapists, it uses cutting-edge technology and an innovative design to optimize learning, stimulate neural pathways, finely tune pronunciation, and sharpen articulation for effective, natural communication. 

Unlock your child’s potential with Forbrain today. 

Final Words

If your child is struggling to pronounce the vocalic /r/ word, don’t worry. Use the list of vocalic /r/ words, phrases, and sentences alongside the patented Forbrain headset and you’ll soon see a huge improvement. 

Reinforce their learning and make it fun by using games, activities, and books to help your child can improve their articulation, grow in confidence, and effortlessly use this tricky sound in everyday spoken language. 

Charlotte Witts

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R Words for Speech Therapy (Lists and Activities)

Looking for R words for speech therapy? Speech-language pathologists looking for a quick list of initial r words, medial r, and final r target words to practice during speech therapy, make sure to bookmark this post. You’ll also find some great ideas for making r therapy more effective with a variety of engaging games, articulation worksheets, and speech therapy activities. Not only does this blog post provide a list of prevocalic r, vocalic r, and r blends, but it also suggests a variety of strategies for r remediation. SLPs will be able to have a list of words on hand to easily use in the therapy room.

This post contains affiliate links, which means we could receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended.

Correct Production of R

There are different ways to make the R sound! These different approaches vary in tongue placement and positioning. The most common approaches are known as the bunched r and the retroflex r. The bunched r literally involves the tongue bunching and lifting up and back towards the throat. The sides of the tongue make contact with the upper posterior molars. The retroflexed tongue position involves a more flattened tongue, with the tip of the tongue pointed up towards the alveolar ridge. Read more about bunched r vs retroflex r here , plus check out some tips to teach either method!

Young children often have difficulty producing the R sound. McLeod and Crowe published this article , which reported that nearly all speech sounds are developed by age 6. A child’s speech intelligibility can be impacted by difficulty with R sound production.

Common R Speech Sound Errors

R is often thought of as one of the most challenging sounds to learn! Here are some common R speech sound errors:

• Oftentimes in younger children, the w sound is substituted for the R sound. An example might be “wabbit” for “rabbit”. This is known as the phonological process of gliding. Minimal pairs might be useful in this situation.
• Occasionally, students might substitute l for r (for example, “light” for “right”).
• R might also be substituted by a “y” sound (an example would be “ram” vs “yam”).
• Other R speech sounds might lose their “R” quality and sound more like a vowel sound. “ER” might be placed by a neutral schwa, for example.

A licensed speech-language pathologist can listen carefully to distinguish which r sound errors a student might be making.

References: Bauman-Waengler, J.A.  Articulatory and Phonological Impairments: A Clinical Focus . Third ed., Pearson Education Limited, 2013. 

How To Teach the R Sound in Speech Therapy

For children who substitute w/r, minimal pairs are often very beneficial. A rounded lip shape may also be contributing to this substitution, so providing cues and reminders to keep the lips retracted while saying R in the initial position of words can be helpful. Try having the student look in a mirror while practicing this sound. Providing accurate feedback is also important.

Older students with articulation disorders often struggle with the production of vocalic r words. School slps may wish to read this article for a deep dive into elicitation techniques for vocalic r. It includes 5 effective tips for teaching the vocalic r sounds. One simple idea is to try using a tongue depressor to gently lift the tongue up and back while smiling and saying “ER”. The teeth should be slightly apart, and the smile should be held during production. This can assist with eliciting vocalic er using a bunched R tongue positioning.

Watch this youtube video to see examples of how to teach R .

R Word Lists for Articulation Therapy

Do you need a list of functional words to work on the R sound in your speech therapy session? R can occur in many different positions of a word, and specific r words may be targeted in speech therapy sessions. The following word lists contain words with r in the beginning of a word (initial R), vocalic R words (initial, medial, and final positions of words), and initial R consonant blends. These R articulation word lists allow the speech therapist to easily work on a target sound and speech goals in speech therapy at the word level. Or, have your student practice at the sentence level or conversation level by using targeted words in sentences. Quickly pull these word lists up during your speech therapy session and pair them with the  game  or activity of your choice. These word lists provide less complex syllable shapes to more complex multisyllabic words.

Initial R Words (Prevocalic R Words) for Speech Therapy

Here is a list of r words in the initial position to use in speech therapy (prevocalic R words):

Vocalic AIR Words Speech Therapy

Here is a list of vocalic air words in the initial position, medial position, and final position of words.

Vocalic AR Words Speech Therapy

Here is a list of vocalic ar in the initial position, medial position, and final position of words.

Vocalic EAR Words Speech Therapy

Here is a list of vocalic ear in the initial position, medial position, and final position of words.

Vocalic IRE Words

Here is a list of vocalic ire in the initial position, medial position, and final position of words.

Initial and Medial

Vocalic OR Words Speech Therapy

Here is a list of vocalic or in the initial position, medial position, and final position of words.

Vocalic ER Words Speech Therapy

Here is a list of vocalic er in the initial position, medial position, and final position of words.

Vocalic RL Words Speech Therapy

Here is a list of vocalic rl in the medial position and final position of words.

Initial R Blend Words Speech Therapy

Here is a list of initial r blends for speech therapy.

Initial BR Words

Initial dr words, initial fr words, initial kr words, speech therapy activities for the r sound.

R can be a difficult sound to remediate, so great resources are a MUST in speech therapy! So try using a comprehension program, a fun game, or effective activities and worksheets for your students.

Comprehensive R Program for Vocalic R

If you need a systematic program that’s going to ensure great success for your R students, you’ll want to check out this R program . For students having a difficult time achieving success using a traditional articulation method, it’s beneficial to try a whole new game plan. This program is based on the extensive research of Sandra Holtzman, and is based on her R CEU course , with permission. It incorporates orofacial myology basics, which is often the piece that many failed approaches have been missing.

Jessica G., SLP, reviewed, “I’m so grateful for this resource !!!! Targeting “r” was like my worst nightmare and when students weren’t making progress I felt so discouraged and did not know what else I could do to improve accuracy. Thanks to Karen and this amazing resource, I actually get excited to treat “r” now. The approach used actually works and my students finally seem to understand tongue positioning better (and maybe I do too!). This is definitely worth buying! Thank you!”

Vocalic R Playing Card Game Companion

Do you need to review vocalic r in different word positions? Check out this card game companion , which pairs with a popular color-coded card game. It uses the colors and symbols on the playing card, and matches those with a target vocalic R word. Your player would draw a card, then check his vocalic r sheet to see which target word corresponds with the card he has drawn. Trust me, your elementary students will love this one! It’s fast, easy, and motivating!   Please note: The Pedi Speechie is in no way associated with the well-known card game, which is trademarked.

• Playdough Articulation Manicure Activity

The trick to making articulation drill fun? Try doing a speech manicure ! This articulation activity, which includes r articulation and vocalic r articulation targets, will become an instant hit in your speech therapy room. It’s ideal for younger and older students because picture-supported cards and text-only cards are provided. It’s simple to use. The speech-language pathologist chooses the target sound, and the student chooses the play dough color (in other words, the “nail polish” color). After saying a target word, the student places play dough onto the “nail”, and continues to repeat the process until the manicure is complete!

P.S. Don’t have any play dough on hand? You could also try pairing this activity with a magnetic wand and chips .

Mixed Group R and R Blends Worksheets

Trying to target language AND articulation goals in a mixed group? Let’s face it, sometimes the day can get chaotic! This mixed groups resource is designed to help maintain a school SLP’s sanity during a busy day. How does it work, exactly? Articulation words are sorted by noun or verb. While one student works on articulation, another student can work on language goals- using the same target words.

Use the noun articulation pictures to work on goals such as describing, following directions, spatial concepts, and making inferences. Use the verb articulation pictures to work on goals such as verb tense and creating sentences. These activity sheets are no prep and low ink, so you truly can use these while on-the-go. Just print them out and hand one out to each student.

These mixed group worksheets are also available as a bundle . The bundle includes other articulation targets, including k and g, sh, ch, j, l and l blends, and s and s blends. Lou Ann M., SLP, reviewed, “This resource was easy to use. No prep! Worked well for mixed groups. Able to target multiple goals. Definitely will be using this over and over!”

More Articulation Word Lists for Speech Therapists

Short on time and need a quick summary of this article? Scroll up to see r words speech therapy lists. Then, try out these best-selling articulation worksheets and activities to work on the r sound:

• Comprehensive R Program
• Vocalic R Playing Card Companion
• Mixed Groups Articulation and Language Bundle

Don’t miss these other articulation word lists!

• S Word Lists
• L Word Lists
• F Word Lists
• K Word Lists
• TH Word Lists

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1,211+ R Words Speech Therapy {Interactive Flashcards!}

As a speech therapist, the number one consonant sound my students were working on was the r sound!  I was constantly in need of r words for speech therapy.

I’ve gone ahead and created word lists with over 1,211 words making your articulation therapy easier this school year!

R Words Speech Therapy

As Speech-Language Pathologists in the schools or private practice, we are always on the lookout for a great resource. 

Be sure to check out my interactive flashcards below that are perfect for your older students with real-life photos. 

And better yet there is no need for a credit card because they are all free!

Use the links below to help navigate this post:

• R Words Overview
• Flash Cards – Initial R (word, phrase, sentence, + question)
• Word Level – Initial R
• Flash Cards – Medial R (word, phrase, sentence, + question)
• Word Level – Medial R
• Flash Cards – Final R (word, phrase, sentence, + question)
• Word Level – Final R
• Phrase Level – Initial R
• Phrase Level – Medial R
• Phrase Level – Final R
• Sentence Level – Initial R
• Sentence Level Medial R
• Sentence Level Final R
• Additional R Word Resources

Correct Position

In the English language, the r sound is one of the most difficult sounds as well as one of the last sounds to develop. There are two different ways language therapists can teach tongue placement for r remediation. 

First, let’s review the two different variations of tongue movements for producing the r sound:

• Retroflexed R

Both ways are very similar and vary in mid-tongue and tongue tip placements:

• Teeth: The /r/ sound is made by having a slight gap between the teeth.
• Lips: Lips should be in a neutral position and not rounded. (A rounded lip shape might lead to a /w/ in place of an /r/ sound, such as “wed” for the word “red”.
• Sides of the Tongue: Be sure to place the sides of the tongue against the upper side of your teeth to allow for the passage of air to go down the center of the tongue.
• Retroflexed R: Have the mid-tongue somewhat tense but not bunched up. Then place the tip of the tongue pointing up just past the alveolar ridge.
• Bunched R: Have the mid-tongue bunched up near the roof of the mouth. Then place the tip of the tongue pointing down or straight.
• Air: Then blow a skinny stream of air over the center of your tongue (you do not want the air to come out the sides of the tongue).
• Voice: The r sound is also a voiced sound so your voice box or vocal cords should vibrate. You can tell that their voice is turned on by touching your voice box on your neck and feeling it vibrate.

Types of R Sounds

• Prevocalic R Sounds – is when the r sound comes before a vowel sound, such as an initial r word “red”. 
• Vocalic R Sounds – is when the r sound comes after a vowel sound, such as: or, ar, er, ear, ire, air.

Target Words – List of Functional Words

Here’s an r word list for you to use in therapy or at home practice to work on your student or child’s new skill.

• For Example: run, rest, ride, rake, root, parade, tarp, harp, worm, farm, soccer, wire, weather, faster, baker

See full list of words, phrases, and sentences below.

Be sure to grab my one page freebie of initial r words, medial r, and final r sounds below making your life easier since you won’t need to prep materials. 

Simply scroll to the bottom of this post and grab your free copy of a list of specific words!

Word Positions: R Words Speech Therapy 

Initial position of words.

The initial position of the r sound is at the beginning of a word. For example, “rock” or “race”.

Medial Position of Words

Some words have the r sound in the medial position of a word, such as “scared”, “tired”, and “fork”.

Final Positions of Words

The final positions of words are when the target sound is at the end of a word. For example, “tiger” or “star”.

Initial R Words at Word Level

Some ways to practice include having your child or student say each initial /r/ word one by one as they go through a list. 

Using a dot marker can also be a fun way to practice having your child put a dot under each initial r sound. 

In addition, I’ve compiled an easy-to-download one page overview of initial r sounds below. Simply scroll down to the bottom of this post and download your free copy.

• 1 Syllable: ring, rich, red, rain, rock, rose, ray, ron, room, ram, rest, Ryan, rat, royal, rap, rage, rice, race, rush, Rome, ross, right, real, road, rad, run, row, roof, ride, rope, risk, rise, rip, Rick, robe, rule, rep, rug, reach, rent, read, rod, rant, roll, rust, rob, rack, rough, Ruth, round, rhythm, ride, root, rag, ranch, ridge, raw, rot, ring, reign, rail, rim, rig, rave, rude, rub, reed, raft, rut, rear, rib, ritz, rye, rails, rouge, route, roe, rash, raid, reef, ruin, rocks, roar, roast, roach, rung, rein, rare, raise, ripe, rank, reek, role, roll, realm, rack, ruse, ramp, rink, runt, react, rasp, ranch, really, reel, roost 
• 2 Syllable: Rachel, river, Rio, range, russia, robbery, rhyme, running, respect, riddle, rodent, raven, reason, rocket, robbin, roman, ready, rodger, reading, rainbow, random, Riley, reindeer, rising, rhino, reagan, region, rapper, riot, rabbit, racing, research, reaction, relief, ripple, romance, rosa, ruler, reward, romeo, raining, really, return, resource, runner, ruby, recall, roster, robot, recess, reptile, rally, randy, russell, rubber, rascal, rocky, ringing, ribbon, realize, routine, recipe, rooster, rifle, respite, robber, rubbish, radish, resist, rebel, raffle, rapture, regret, rowing, rustic, racket, redneck, rugby, retail, report, reject, request, rover, rubble, rodeo, raptor, royalty, reveal, radar, release, rapid, riches, rumor, roommate, repeat, rhyming, rusty, racist, resort, rumble, recon, repent, raided, rampage, records, runway, ruthless, roller, reunion, review, realtor, rookie, resume, relay, radar, retire, redo, ranger, rescue, rhombus, rental, relax, raising, reaching, receipt, rejoice, reggae, replace, regard, railway, results, raccoon, regain, richness, rancid, ruckus, refuge, reverse, raging, riser, runoff, refuse, realty, rival, realness, rocking, rematch, richer, refund, raincoat, remorse, roaring, rudder, railing, rabi, reeling, reckless, racer, remark, repair, receive, restless, rabid, raisin, ruining, rupture, risking, reset, ruling, rifling, reflux, railroad, rinsing, remain, reform, rower, roaming, rider, rusting, ringer, replay, reply, rambler, respond, rumbling, rested, raiser, rockies, rebate, ransom, rasping, rover, rotor, regards, redness, roomie, remote, refresh, rinse, relate, rattle, restart, recount, refine
• 3 Syllable: revenge, radio, remember, realty, republic, restaurant, recycle, radical, recycling, rainforest, receiver, register, resolve, religion, racism, relative, ration, raspberry, reminder, rebellion, Ramadan, radiant, Robinson, righteous, Russian, reflection, resistance, respectful, relentless, retina, remedy, recession, retriever, revival, rosary, rejection, reasoning, resentment, replica
• 4 Syllable: relaxation, retirement, relationship, righteousness, renovation, revolution, reciprocal, resolution, responsible, reference, retribution, resurrection, reservation, republican, remembering, rambunctious, revelation, relatable, recovery, remarkable, reciprocate, ravioli, renewable, recreation, restoration, reproduction, radiator, rosemary, recognition, registration, rhinoceros, reliable, remodeling, reinforcement, relocation, regulation, requirement, reformation, resignation, repercussion, regurgitate, respirator, reasonable, regenerate, repairable, reversible

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Practice in Flash Card Mode Right Here from Your Computer!

Initial R Words Speech Therapy

Medial R Words at Word Level

• 1 Syllable: are, world, art, earth, words, ark, birth, arm, north, worth, march, bored, force, Charles, purse, worse, first, tired, birds, orb, worst, works, porch, urn, cards, nurse, torch, verse, berth, birch, curse, fired, burst, harsh, Jared, forth, perch, parts, terms, aired, girl, morse, corps, herb, blurred, starved, burnt, cords, marsh, parks, forks, marks, parch, learned, pierced, perks, lurch, herds, cares, yards, starred
• 2 Syllable: party, forty, journey, ore, Sarah, courage, era, Ari, sorry, Paris, Karen, berry, carol, Aaron, arrow, quarter, cherish, early, thirsty, sparkle, worry, horse, worried, virus, current, perry, Larry, mercy, stories, curve, serve, coral, marry, carried, curry, curly, nerve, journal, siren, Korea, carry, karma, forte, large, charger, terrain, fairing, married, bearing, terrier, hurry, thermal, storage, barrier, xerox, carrier, hearing, Fargo, haircut, payroll, torrent, purge, ferry, soaring, barge, heron, moral, tourist, tardy, meerkat, sparrow, earring, blaring, derby, charter, mural, merit, merge, correct, warrant, terrace, spirits, eerie, wearing, corgi, courier, boarder, borax, flaring, parka, roaring, bearded, nearing, spartan, learner, clearance, heiress, fearing, viral, peril, corrupt, larva, feral, startle, snoring, furry, surreal, pairing, narrate, perfect
• 3 Syllable: Georgia, important, dirty, Florida, Maria, imperfect, warrior, average, burrito, therapy, clarity, divergent, eternal, waterfall, advertise, rearrange, powerless, emerald, tourism, insurance, hibernate, charity, aftermath, anarchy, eagerness, tolerance, merrily, excursion, arthritis, adoring, Syria, hazardous, nevermore, afternoon, inference, assurance, Neverland, superstar, endurance, Everest, ignorance, dearest, interject, entertain, governess, recording, reservoir, gingerbread, alternate, leaderboard, absorbent, detergent, compartment, deserving, enforcing, interview, bittersweet, departure, heartbreaking, asteroids, algorithm, glorify, alerted, interests, observant, hairdresser, immersion, colorless, exporting, fingerprint, researching, governing, paperclip
• 4 Syllable: America, inspiration, adversity, generator, reference, admirable, cooperation, measurement, adversary, temperature, respiration, notorious, encouraging, overrated, declaration, flabbergasted, diversity, hilarious, exploration, paparazzi, memorable, convertible, desirable, separable, supernova, naturally, separated, firecracker, materials, honorable, waterproofing, cooperative, asparagus, preparation, comfortably, triceratops, calibrating

Medial R Words Speech Therapy

Final R Words at Word Level

• 1 Syllable:  near, her, car, air, ear, star, for, hair, ever, war, pear, fear, bear, four, year, chair, clear, fair, cheer, dear, hear, door, oar, wear, deer, gear, jar, fir, fur, scar, pier, tour, hour, Blair, floor, player, layer, our, sour, spear, boar, prayer, rear, sir, blue, stir, choir, roar, mayor, smear, flair, dryer, peer, steer, heir, swear, pour, stair, buyer
• 2 Syllable:  silver, water, over, sugar, amber, father, tiger, monster, river, after, sister, power, teacher, anger, mother, winter, doctor, other, honor, under, better, wonder, number, yielder, lover, never, ginger, color, beaver, paper, pepper, Tyler, hunter, nuclear, summer, fever, clever, flower, booger, peter, lobster, daughter, later, easter, super, Taylor, mirror, Denver, whisper, liver, quarter, thunder, soldier, meter, murder, soccer, matter, panther, guitar, order, uber, Oscar, ember, finger, gangster, shiver, brother, dinner, counter, weather, tender, driver, corner, center, tractor, tower, roger, cider, gator, master, Hitler, chamber, glitter, leader, twitter, parker, stranger, offer, actor, reindeer, hyper, appear, hipster, cancer, carter, baker, danger, giver, litter, dumpster, acer, worker, otter, eager, rapper, cover, author, filter, further, trigger, younger, maker, helper, butter, closer, dollar, sweater, feather, toddler, supper, eater, linear, clover, trailer, laughter, burglar, jaguar, bitter, winner, tucker, bother, butcher, ruler, shelter, utter, turner, banter, slumber, neighbor, spider, cougar, dreamer, locker, timer, runner, beaker, ladder, alter, pitcher, stalker, liger, fighter, roster, terror, despair, cooler, shower, harper, miller, spencer, dagger, older, lower, Casper, hater, catcher, answer, copper, stroller, foster, factor, loser, hamster, labor, theater, farmer, swagger, joker, oyster, thriller, rubber, horror, glacier, heater, flutter, topper, strider, adder, feeder, elder, coaster, polar, charger, usher, scooter, grammar, earlier, quiver, trickster, letter, Walter, motor, powder, enter, solar, gender, chandler, chapter, owner, buster, cleaner, stealer, beater, poster, potter, reaper, poker, leather, sober, striker, altar, boulder, anchor, slater, sitter, rooster, glamour, goober, loner, solver, arbor, prosper, fiber, either, member, lighter, wither, fuller, saber, marker, user, robber, banner, fisher, lunar, victor, speaker, washer, weaver, temper, trainer, bummer, piper, hunger, server, parlor, crater, camper, antler, flavor, dozer, jester, dealer, rover, odor, hamper, falter, terrier, fluster, buster, chaser, hover, lawyer, warmer, barber, freezer, radar, favor, shoulder, toaster, clutter, booster, ponder, gutter, manor, liar, bagger, minor, happier, beggar, pioneer, partner, sewer
• 3 Syllable:  forever, Jupiter, together, calendar, November, remember, computer, October, anteater, dinosaur, September, warrior, Jennifer hamburger, character, December, maneuver, junior, Christopher, disaster, receiver, discover, register, predator, sunflower, another, professor, absolver, avenger, senior, cheerleader, manager, sleepover, treasurer, officer, narrator, metaphor, carpenter, abductor, Asperger, lavender, propeller, janitor, reminder, eraser, encounter, producer, messenger, surrender, juniper, grasshopper, volunteer, headhunter, container, punisher, disappear, circular, counselor, minister, vinegar, teenager, amateur, Oliver, disorder, bystander, diaper, senator, explorer, bartender, ancestor, achiever, retriever, grandmother, grandfather, crossover, challenger, spectator, deliver, equator, emperor, highlighter, governor, monitor, defender, survivor, superstar, consumer, empower, traveler, bipolar, beholder, heartbreaker, advisor, retainer, conqueror, daydreamer, admirer, decipher, nutcracker, customer, dictator, freshener, collector, conductor, rottweiler, auditor, inventor, cellular, wanderer, follower, bootlegger, reservoir, translator, adopter, bachelor, breadwinner, semester, believer, dishwasher, roadrunner, bulldozer, savior, beginner, beekeeper, godfather, jeweler
• 4 Syllable:  irregular, alligator, caterpillar, helicopter, generator, perimeter, elevator, alexander, spectacular, gladiator, appetizer, thermometer, diameter, familiar, cauliflower, numerator, firefighter, bodybuilder, entertainer, centimeter, radiator, calculator, behavior, astronomer, linebacker, operator, icebreaker, babysitter, superior, extinguisher, underwater, photographer, Madagascar, coriander, escalator, kilometer, caregiver, firecracker, salamander, coordinator, sanitizer, energizer, peacemaker, cheeseburger, lifesaver, troublemaker, entrepreneur, caretaker, fertilizer, examiner, altogether, supervisor, binocular, administer, candlemaker

Final R Words Speech Therapy

SEE ALSO: 21 Best Reinforcement Games for Speech Therapy

Short Sentences or Phrases

When working on the r sound production, it’s important to work on short phrases once your child or student has mastered the sound at the word level at or near 80% or higher accuracy.

Here is a list of initial r word phrases to try:

Initial R Words Speech Therapy in Phrases

Medial R Words for Speech Therapy in Phrases

Final R Words for Speech Therapy in Phrases

Sentence Level: R Words Speech Therapy

The next step after working at the word and phrase level is to work on the r sound at the sentence level.

For example, you could give your child or student a list of sentences to read aloud while they work on their r sound. 

Another idea would be to give your child or student pictures with their r sound in them and then have them create a sentence about those pictures.

Below is a list of sentences to use with your child or students.

Initial R Words Speech Therapy in Sentences

Medial R Words for Speech Therapy in Sentences

Final R Words for Speech Therapy in Sentences

SEE ALSO: Free Articulation Games for Speech Therapy

R words speech therapy ideas, visual cues.

• Teaching R Freebie – Stimulability Starter Kit by Speechy Things includes wonderful visuals for tongue placement of exactly how to produce the R sound. 

What r kids wouldn’t love a fun game to practice their therapy? Check out our list of r games here.

• Speech Artic – /r/ sound [Freebie]: Straight-6 Bingo Game by Jackie G is a fun way to practice R articulation at the word and sentence levels! To play this game, you will need a board for each player, a dice, and dry-erase markers.
• Bossy R Literacy Center Game: Go Fish by Morgan Elliot is a fun, Go Fish-style game that reinforces R articulation! There are 2 differentiated Go Fish packs in this Freebie!  
• Freebie! R Sound Articulation Game: Hexagon Tile Connect for Speech Therapy by Harre SLP is a great freebie to practice r in initial, medial, and final positions! This freebie is a no-prep, printable that has a total of 360 targets. 

Boom cards are another fun and engaging way to strengthen your child or student’s articulation skills.

Here are a few favorite boom cards to work on the r sounds: 

• Articulation Cards for Speech Therapy BOOM CARDS™ R Initial FREEBIE by Stacey Crouse is a great freebie with built-in features like self-monitoring and modeling. 
• Where’s My /R/ Sound? Articulation (Boom Cards, Teletherapy, Distance Learning) by My Teletherapy Room is a simple game that targets R articulation for word and sentence level. 
• Flashlight Search I Spy Articulation Boom Cards™ R Initial FREE Sample by In Unison Speech Therapy is a great way to let your students practice R articulation with a fun I Spy-styled game! Students will use a flashlight to search for R words in space. Once found, they click the picture and have multiple chances to practice R repetition. 

Playing Card

Using playing cards in practice sessions is a great way to get multiple exposures to a student’s sound. 

• Dinosaur Battle! Playing Card Game for /r/ by My Word is a fun, dinosaur-themed game to help students practice /r/ articulation! 
• Vocalic /r/ Cards for Speech Therapy by Home Sweet Speech Room includes 28 cards to practice /r/ articulation. If you print 2 copies, you can also play Go Fish with your students!
• Beginning Sounds Bingo: Consonants B, M, R, S {FREEBIE} by Sparkles and Sweet Tea by Farren Francis is a fun bingo game with multiple /r/ articulation targets! 

SEE ALSO: 279+ Free Speech Therapy Digital Materials

High school – grade level.

Finding high school-appropriate articulation resources can be difficult to find. Here are a few high school-appropriate resources. 

• Be sure to grab our free initial, medial, and final r words at the word, phrase, and sentence levels below that use real-life photos making them age-appropriate for high school students.
• R Conversation Prompts – ARTICULATION by The Prairie Speechie is a great list of prompts to discuss with your student that purposefully hit R targets. This is great for older students and very casual to practice.

Auditory Discrimination

Using auditory discrimination can help improve speech therapy services for those students with a language disorder. It allows your child or student to hear the correct production first before being required to produce the sound themselves.

• Auditory Discrimination /r/ vs. /w/ Printable Worksheets FREEBIE by Speech Alley is a great set of worksheets to help students discern between /r/ and /w/ sounds. 
• R vs. W Minimal Pairs – Auditory Discrimination Handout by SLP SMART LLC – Eli Lowham is a great activity for students to practice articulation of R. This is also a simple activity for parents/caregivers to practice with their kids!
• Gliding Minimal Pairs Boom Card Tongue Twister r w l y Silly Sentences Questions by Iowa SLP is a student favor! Build funny sentences with students as you practice the correct production of /r/. 

Own Progress

I’ve had great success with having my students keep track of their own progress during therapy.

• Screening and Eliciting R – Articulation Screener for R – Speech Therapy by Jess Bigert is a well-organized file to track R articulation practice and progress
• FREEBIE Self-Rating Scale | Perfect for Articulation & Auditory Discrimination by The Bright Side of Speech is a great self-monitoring scale for students to listen and rate how they pronounce letters. 
• R Sound Self-Monitoring Boom Card Digital Version & printable by GoldieTalks Speech is a fun game and self-monitoring tool that is both digital and printable!

Speech Therapy Activities

Here are a couple of activities to make planning your speech therapy sessions easier this year.

• Articulation Picture Search /r/ Blends FREEBIE Print or No Print Teletherapy by Stacey Crouse is a fun and interactive game to help practice R articulation!
• No-Prep Articulation Coloring Pages – /r/ /s/ /l/ /th/ by Bilinugal Speech – Language is a great print and go activity to practice R articulation! 
• FREEBIE! Easter Egg Hunt Articulation – /R/ Sound Game & Activity by Twin Speech and Language is an interactive, no prep activity for students up to grade 10 to practice their R articulation!
• Would You Rather for Articulation – /r/ freebie by Simplifying Speech has 15 questions that elicit two R articulation productions. 

Articulation Cards

Articulation cards are a perfect grab-and-go resource for those busy days.

• Sensible and Silly R Rhymes for R final and R initial Articulation by Speech Kube is a great set of cards that prompts students to practice the tongue elevation necessary to pronounce R. This is great for elementary and middle school students.
• R Articulation Cards for Speech Therapy Activities & Drill Sheets – FREE! By Ashley Rossi is a highly rated set of cards to drill R articulation for elementary aged students.
• No Print Articulation Flash Cards – R Freebie by Speech Therapy Plans are no prep, simple R articulation cards that hit 100 productions of R! 

Here are a couple of r-blend resources if you have students working on r-blends as well.

• Mix ‘n Match Articulation Cards /R/ blends by Jamie Morris are engaging cards that help students practice R blends!
• FREE S Blends Worksheets R Blends Activities Phonics ESL Literacy by My Nerdy Teacher by Alina V is an amazing compilation of R blend games and activities. This is great for stations or as homework!
• Articulation Picture Search /r/ Blends FREEBIE Print or No Print Teletherapy by Stacey Crouse is an interactive, student favorite! This is a picture search that targets R blend articulation. 

Need Different Sounds?

You won’t want to miss out on my complete growing list of all my articulation word lists !

In Conclusion: R Words Speech Therapy

We hope you have found this article helpful for working on your child or student’s r sound. 

Be sure to grab your freebie of 20 initial words, 20 medial r words, and 20 final r words to start practicing 5 minutes a day.

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