Spelling the sound /or/: or, ore, au, aw
To recap, the most common ways of spelling the /or/ sound are or, ore, au, aw.
After a qu or w, typically it is spelled with ar.
 |
These words all contain other ways of making the /or/ sound by using:
aught, ough, our, oor, all, al, oar. |
These words use augh to spell the /or/
sound: |
caught* |
The thief was caught
in the act. |
taught* |
I was taught to play
the piano. |
fraught |
Fraught means upset
and worried. |
naught |
Naught (US spelling)
means nothing.
(British spelling: nought) |
naughty |
Put that naughty child
to bed early. |
daughter |
Our daughter has fair
hair. |
slaughter |
The sick cows had to be slaughtered. |
|
For more on these augh words, see Unit
17 |
These words use ough to spell the /or/
sound: |
ought |
You really ought
to see that film. |
bought
|
I bought
my boyfriend a ring. |
brought
|
The lost child
was brought back home. |
fought*
|
A battle was fought
on this site. |
nought
|
Nought
means nothing. (US spelling: naught) |
thought |
I thought
you'd be ready by now. |
|
For more on these ough words, see Unit
17 |
These words use our to spell the /or/
sound: |
four |
He has read four
books in a week. |
pour |
Please will you
pour me a drink? |
your |
Can I help you
with your bags? |
court*
|
The tennis court
was too wet for play. |
course*
|
1. This course
should help your spelling.
2. We had soup for our first course. |
mourn |
Mourn means
to grieve over a death. |
source* |
The source
of this river is in those hills. |
|
Note: 4 = four, 14 = fourteen,
BUT 40 = forty |
These words use oor to spell the /or/
sound: |
door |
Shut the door
behind you. |
floor* |
Don't tread on
my clean floor. |
|
Remember these words from Unit 5?
In them the /orl/ sound is spelled all :
all |
ball |
call |
fall |
hall |
small |
stall |
tall |
wall |
The /or/ sound is spelled al in these words also: |
chalk |
These cliffs are
made of chalk. |
stalk* |
Flowers grow on
stalks. |
talk |
Don't talk
with your mouth full. |
walk |
Let's walk
instead of driving. |
|
These words use oar to spell the /or/sound:
|
oar |
I lost an oar
over the side of my boat. |
boar* |
A boar
is a male pig or a wild pig. |
board* |
The seat was just
a wooden board. |
coarse*
|
Coarse
means rough, or not fine. |
hoard |
He hid his hoard
of cash under the bed. |
hoarse* |
Shouting too much
can make you hoarse. |
roar |
I heard the roar
of a wild animal. |
soar* |
The glider soared
high in the sky. |
|
 |
To remember the spelling of
cupboard, think of it as a board to keep cups
on, and say it out loud as cup - board. |
|
|
Remember the war rules on page 7?
These words break those rules: |
wore* |
She wore
a new dress for the party. |
worn* |
This old printer
is worn out. |
water |
Drink lots of
water for good health. |
|
 |
To remember the spelling of water, keep
saying:
Adam ate apples and drank water
|
|
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Homophones for the /or/
sound.