The /ɔːr/ of fork and storm — except after w, where it becomes /ɜːr/, and in an unstressed syllable, where it becomes schwa.
R-controlled vowels
or R_OR_01
Strong rule · High reliability · Very common · Early · Reading and spelling
/ɔːr/ or: fork, storm, north
/ɜːr/ or after w: work, word, world
/ər/ unstressed or: doctor, colour, motor
Where Wiggler teaches it: Skill 8: R-Controlled Vowels
Child explanation
O and r together say /ɔː/ — fork, storm, north. After a w it changes to the her sound: work, word, world.
The rule
Or represents /ɔːr/ in a stressed syllable. After w it is /ɜːr/ — the her sound — and in an unstressed syllable it reduces to /ər/.
What is really going on
The w-conditioned shift here is the mirror image of the one affecting ar: after /w/, ar moves toward /ɔːr/ and or moves toward /ɜːr/. The two changes together — war/warm and work/word/world — are worth teaching as one fact about w rather than two exceptions.
Position in the word
Stressed syllable — /ɔːr/. For example: fork, storm, north, short.
After a consonant — After w, /ɜːr/. For example: work, word, world, worm, worth.
Unstressed syllable — /ər/. For example: doctor, actor, motor, colour.
Examples
Easy examples
fork, storm, north, short, corn
More examples
born, horn, torn, sport, sort, fort, morning, forest, order, important
Advanced examples
work, word, world, worm, worse, worship, doctor, actor, mirror
Pseudo-words
Made-up words that follow the rule. A child who reads these has the pattern rather than the vocabulary.
blort, shorn, frorm
Exceptions
or after w: work, word, world, worm, worth, worse, worst, worship. The /w/ fronts the vowel to /ɜːr/.
Unstressed -or: doctor, actor, motor, tractor, colour, mirror. Schwa plus r.
Contrast pairs
fork versus work — The w changes the vowel completely.
corn versus cord — Both /ɔːr/ — consistency inside the stressed group.
for versus fur — Different vowels, both r-controlled.
Decodable sentences
A storm came in the morning from the north.
Sort the short forks before sport.
I work with words in the world.
Teacher note
Teach the w-or group as a set — work, word, world, worm, worth, worse — at the same time as war, warm, ward. Two families, one cause. Children who see the pattern stop treating them as random exceptions.