Vowel team
The "ar" sound — /ar/
As in car. Tap play to hear the sound, see the mouth shape, and learn 5 words to practice.
Mouth shape
Open mouth wide, add 'r'
Gesture
Open mouth wide like at the doctor saying ahhhr
Example words
- car
- star
- park
- farm
- arm
How to teach the “ar” sound
- Hear it first. Tap Play three times. Have your child watch your mouth while you copy the sound — no letter name yet, just the pure sound /ar/.
- Do the gesture. Open mouth wide like at the doctor saying ahhhr— kids remember sounds 2× faster when there’s a physical action attached.
- Find it in words. Read the 5 example words aloud slowly, stretching the /ar/ sound: “c–a–r”.
- Spot it around the house. “Can you find something that starts with /ar/?” Aim for 3 wins in a row before stopping.
Get the full app — 15 phonics games, 43 native sounds
Free on iPhone, iPad, and Android. Works offline. No ads, no surprise paywalls.
ABC Phonics — Sounds for Kids