Variant, Diphthong, and R Vowel Patterns Chapter Notes | Language Arts for Grade 3 PDF Download

Introduction

Learning about variant, diphthong, and R-controlled vowel patterns helps us understand how different letters work together to make special sounds in words. This chapter teaches us how to pronounce and spell words correctly by recognizing these patterns. Variants are different versions of the same word, diphthongs combine two vowel sounds, and R-controlled vowels change their sound when followed by the letter "r." By studying these, we can become better readers and spellers!

Variant

• A variant is a different version of something, like a word or a group of things.
• Words can have different spellings in different places, like "colour" (British) and "color" (American).
• Variants show variety, meaning things are not all the same.
• Examples of variants in words:
  • "Colour" and "color" are two spellings of the same word.
  • "Theatre" and "theater" are different spellings used in different countries.
• Variants can also describe differences in other things:
  • In biology, a variant is a group of organisms that are slightly different from others in the same species, like different types of dogs.
  • In stories or movies, a new version of a story, like a different James Bond movie, is a variant.
• Variants can also mean a random change or difference from what is expected, like a different score in a game.

Diphthong

• A diphthong is a special vowel sound made by combining two vowel sounds in one syllable.
• The sound starts as one vowel and moves to another without a break.
• Two common diphthongs in English:
  • The /ow/ sound, like in "cow" or "house."
  • The /oy/ sound, like in "boy" or "coin."
• How diphthongs are formed:
  • The /ow/ sound combines the /a/ sound (like in "cat") with the /oo/ sound (like in "zoo").
  • The /oy/ sound combines the /aw/ sound (like in "law") with the /ee/ sound (like in "see").
• Spelling of diphthongs:
  • The /ow/ sound can be spelled with "ow" (like "cow") or "ou" (like "out").
  • The /oy/ sound can be spelled with "oi" (like "oil") or "oy" (like "boy").
• Examples of words with /ow/ sound:
  • With "ow": cow, now, brown, chow, plow, wow, power, towel, owl, howl, flower, shower.
  • With "ou": out, shout, found, couch, ouch, cloud, loud, aloud, ounce, pounce, around, bounce.
• Examples of words with /oy/ sound:
  • With "oi": oil, boil, coin, noise, voice, coil, foil, soil, spoil, join, choice.
  • With "oy": boy, toy, joy, Roy, annoy, destroy, employ, joy, loyal, royal, ahoy, soy.

R Controlled Vowels

• An R-controlled vowel is when a vowel is followed by the letter "r," which changes the vowel’s sound.
• The "r" is sometimes called a "bossy R" because it controls the sound of the vowel before it.
• The vowel no longer sounds like a long or short vowel; it has a new sound because of the "r."
• R-controlled vowel sounds:
  • "ar" makes the /ar/ sound, like in "car."
  • "er," "ir," and "ur" all make the /er/ sound, like in "her," "sir," and "fur."
  • "or" can make the /or/ sound, like in "corn," or sometimes the /er/ sound, like in "doctor."
• Representations of R-controlled vowels:
  • "ar" always makes the /ar/ sound, like in "car," "star," or "farm."
  • "er" usually makes the /er/ sound (like "her") but can sound like /uh/ in some words.
  • "ur" makes the /er/ sound, like in "fur" or "nurse."
  • "ir" also makes the /er/ sound, like in "bird" or "sir."
  • "or" can make the /or/ sound (like "corn") or the /er/ sound (like "doctor" or "worm").
  • Complex representations like "oor" (like "door"), "eer" (like "deer"), or "ear" (like "fear") have unique sounds and are less common.
  • "wor" makes the /er/ sound when after a "w," like in "word" or "worm."
  • "war" makes the /ar/ sound when after a "w," like in "warm" or "war."
• Special notes about "or":
  • "or" usually makes the /or/ sound in words like "corn" or "storm."
  • After a "w," "or" makes the /er/ sound, like in "word," "worm," or "worth."
  • In words like "doctor" or "decorate," "or" in the second or third syllable makes the /er/ sound.
  • The word " " is an exception because it does not follow the "wor" rule.
• Special notes about "w" with R-controlled vowels:
  • "w" can change vowel sounds when it comes before a vowel.
  • In "wor" words, "w" makes the "o" sound like a short /u/ (like "wonder"), and the "r" changes it to /er/ (like "word").
  • In "war" words, "w" and "r" together make the /ar/ sound, like in "warm" or "war."
• Examples of R-controlled vowel words:
  • 1-syllable "ar" words: car, bar, far, part, hard, start, arm, jar, dark, farm, Mark, star, yard, spark, yarn.
  • 1-syllable "er" words: her, verb, herd, perm, fern, term, Bert, perch, germ, clerk, jerk, stern, per, serve, nerve.
  • 1-syllable "ir" words: bird, girl, first, third, sir, shirt, dirt, birth, firm, stir, skirt, whirl, thirst, twirl, flirt.
  • 1-syllable "or" words: corn, for, or, born, north, horse, torn, short, shorty, sort, storm, force, horn, form, york.
  • 1-syllable "ur" words: nurse, turn, fur, hurt, church, purse, burst, burn, curve, curb, urge, curl, surf, blur, burnt.
  • 2+ syllable "ar" words: target, market, harbor, carbon, party, cargo, artist, partner, garbage, Marvin, carpet, farmer, army, pardon, carnival.
  • 2+ syllable "er" words: butter, otter, sister, ever, copper, person, herself, perfect, observe, determine, Jersey, concern, expert, desert, servant.
  • 2+ syllable "ir" words: birthday, circus, dirty, thirteen, thirsty, swirling, girlfriend, confirm, virtual, thirty, affirm, birdcage, skirmish, squirting, circle.
  • 2+ syllable "or" words: forest, order, corner, story, forty, morning, orbit, orange, scornful, Florida, support, accord, normal, report, afford.
  • 2+ syllable "ur" words: turkey, purple, turtle, return, further, furniture, occur, disturb, murmur, purpose, Thursday, nursery, burden, current, burger.
• Exceptions to R-controlled vowel rules:
  • Some words don’t follow the usual R-controlled vowel rules, like "barrel" (compare to "bar") or "coral" (compare to "cordial").
  • In these words, the "r" is part of the next syllable, so it doesn’t change the vowel sound in the same way.
• Teaching techniques for R-controlled vowels:
  • For "ar":
    • Use a compare and contrast strategy: Compare words like "cat" (short /a/) with "car" (/ar/) to show how "r" changes the sound.
    • Use sound substitution: Change "cat" to "cart" or "had" to "hard" to practice the /ar/ sound.
    • Teach that "ar" counts as one sound (/ar/) when counting sounds in a word, like in "ar-my" or "par-ty."
    • When spelling, remind students that the letter "r" alone does not make the /ar/ sound; it needs the vowel "a" before it.
    • Use the mnemonic "R in charge" to show that "r" must follow a vowel to make the /ar/ sound.
  • For "er":
    • Introduce "er," "ir," and "ur" together since they all make the /er/ sound.
    • Focus on "er" first because it’s the most common, like in "her" or "fern."
    • Explain that "er" can sometimes sound like /uh/ in certain words, but it’s still an R-controlled vowel.
  • For "or":
    • Teach "or" as the /or/ sound first, like in "corn" or "storm," because it’s easier for kids to learn.
    • Explain that "or" can make the /er/ sound after a "w," like in "worm" or "word."
    • Teach that "or" in the second or third syllable, like in "doctor" or "decorate," often makes the /er/ sound.