The Letter R
Basics on the topic The Letter R
What is the Letter R? – Introduction
Exploring the English alphabet brings us to the letter R, a letter known for its distinctive growl and prominent position in many words. As the 18th letter in the sequence, the letter R is more than just a character; it’s a phonetic powerhouse that can roll, growl, and command attention in both spoken and written language.
Understanding the Letter R – Definition and Sounds
The letter R represents a consonant sound that is notorious for its unique pronunciation. It is often described as a voiced growling or rumbling /r/ sound, made by pushing the air through the mouth and letting the tongue either flap or curl back slightly.
The letter R can appear in various positions in a word: at the beginning (as in "rocket"), in the middle (as in "forest"), or at the end (as in "car").
Writing the Letter R
Writing the letter R involves a few simple steps. To write the uppercase R, start with a straight line from top to bottom. Next, add a semi-circle that connects to the top of the line and curves halfway down. Finally, draw a diagonal line from the middle of the semi-circle to the bottom right. For the lowercase r, start with a short vertical line. Then, add a small curve extending from the top of the line towards the right, resembling the start of the letter 'n'.
The Letter R – Example Words and Sentences
The letter R is a prominent letter that appears frequently at the beginning, middle, and end of words. For example, Randy the rabbit ran rapidly around the red roses. In this sentence, the letter R is used at the start of several words, highlighting its versatility and prevalence.
Words with the Letter R
The letter R is common and appears in many words. Here is a list of words where the letter R plays a key role:
| Begin With | Contain | End With |
|---|---|---|
| rabbit | garden | car |
| race | orange | star |
| robot | carrot | sugar |
| river | mirror | guitar |
The Letter R – Summary
Key Learnings from this Text:
- The letter R is the 18th letter of the English alphabet, known for its unique voiced growling or rumbling /r/ sound.
- Pronunciation of the letter R involves a rumbling sound, with the tongue slightly raised or curled back.
- Writing the uppercase R combines a vertical line, a hump, and a diagonal leg, while the lowercase r is a short line with a small curve.
- The letter R is often spotted in Beginning 'R' Blends Clusters and Beginning 'R' Blends
Continue practicing the letter R with additional resources such as handwriting worksheets, pronunciation guides, and interactive reading activities to reinforce your skills!
The Letter R – Frequently Asked Questions
Transcript The Letter R
Let’s join Dee and Kala in the phonics garden and learn all about "The Letter R". This is the letter R, it makes the sound /R/. This is an uppercase R and this is a lowercase one. They both make the /R/ sound, like in red, rug, and rip ! Let's practice the /R/ sound with Kala! "R/ R /R/!" Can you spy anything in the garden that begins with the letter R? " There's a robot that starts with the letter R!" Is there anything else in the garden that starts with R? "There's a rose that also begins with the letter R!" Uh-oh! R is hiding with other letters! Can you help find the letter R in the alphabet? Point to the letter when you find it! Did you also point here? You did some great work in the phonics garden! Today we learned all about the letter R, we listened to and made the /R/ sound! We found words that began with the letter R and found it in the alphabet! Interested in a challenge? Watch this video again and see if you can find the rocket, the ring, and the rainbow hidden in the garden! Comment below when you find them! If you want to learn more, check out the next letter in the alphabet, the letter S!
The Letter R exercise
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Which one is the correct letter?
HintsListen carefully to the sound, play it again and think about what you can hear.
This colour is ___.
Look again at the picture above. What sound does this word start with?
SolutionThe correct letter is r. This makes the /r/ sound.
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What sound does the letter make?
HintsThe word rug starts with the sound.
Listen to all four sounds again. Which one is the same as the beginning of the word robot?
SolutionThe correct sound is /r/.
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Find the objects that begin with "r".
HintsThere are 5 items that start with r to highlight.
Listen to this word. Can you find it in the picture?
Listen carefully to the names of the objects.
SolutionThe five items that begin with r are:
- rhino
- radio
- rice
- rock
- raspberry
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What is the word?
HintsListen carefully. What other sounds can you hear?
Here we can see the words with pictures. Use this to help you find the matching pairs above.
SolutionThe words are:
- rip
- rod
- run
- rat
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Help Kala find the objects that begin with "r".
HintsListen to the sound. Which words begin with this sound?
Say all of the items out loud. In which ones do you hear the /r/ sound at the beginning?
There are two correct choices.
SolutionRabbit and robin start with /r/.
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Can you put the words in the correct group?
HintsListen carefully to this word. Do you hear r at the beginning or not?
Think carefully about the first sound that you hear, is it r or a different sound?
There are 4 words that begin with r and 2 words that do not.
SolutionRoad, ribbon, rose and river have r at the beginning.
Car and crown do not have r at the beginning.
