ERR (merry) Sound Multisyllable Word List
The four lists of r-controlled vowels (/ar/, /or/, /er/, and /err/) have all words in the database that contain any spelling of the target sound. They are arranged both by spelling and by the chunk that the spelling occurs. It can be a valuable resource for locating words to illustrate a certain pattern or to find words to practice reading that pattern.
Of the 7,000 words in the database constructed from a popular children’s dictionary, 118 of them are multisyllable words containing the vowel sound /err/. The designation of an /err/ sound is controversial in some regional dialects. Essentially, if all three words in the phrase “Marry merry Mary” sound similar, the teaching of an /err/ sound should be considered.
Note on the word divisions: Each word is divided into chunks determined by the unique and effective OnTrack Reading Multisyllable Method. The chunks are not syllables.
Spelling words on this list can be challenging because it is difficult to form a “perfect pronunciation” that makes sense in most cases. That makes it an excellent list for spelling practice since much of it involves rote memorization of the spelling of the /err/ sound.
