Spelling list: or words

One way to spell the /or/ sound is using the letter combination or. You can spot this pattern in words like fork, short, and born. Click on the speaker icon next to each word in this list to hear how the /or/ sound is pronounced.

As there are three other common ways of spelling the /or/ sound, it is important to become familiar with words that use the or spelling pattern.

You can use the Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check spelling activity to help you do this and then take the Listen and Spell test or play one out our spelling games to confirm your knowledge. Keep up the hard work and you’ll master the /or/ spelling pattern in no time!

cord
She tied the cord of the gown tightly.
ford
The water in the ford was too deep to cross.
cork
The cork flew out of the champagne bottle.
form
Will you please sign this form?
storm
There's a bad storm coming tonight.
born
I was born in May. *
corn
The hen pecked at the corn.
horn
You should only honk your car horn when necessary.
torn
I need to stitch up my torn coat.
fort
An old fort stands on the hill.
port
The tourists got ready to disembark at the next port. *
short
I wrote a short note to my friend.
sport
My favourite sport is tennis. *
porch
He sits in the porch in his rocking chair.
torch
You will need a torch to see in the dark. *
scorch
The fire left scorch marks on the ground.
force
We had to force our way in after we lost the keys.
forge
A blacksmith works with metals in a forge.
gorge
The Grand Canyon is a huge gorge.