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Sounds r and th worksheets

Printable speech sound practice for the r and th sounds: a two-sound chart, picture word sheets for each sound, a sound hunt and a say-it board game.

The worksheets

  1. See it allR and TH at a Glance chart for 3rd grade (sounds r and th), free printable

    R and TH at a Glance

    Both sounds on one page, each with a mouth picture, a short how-to, voice on or off, the spellings and six picture words.

  2. R Sound Words worksheet for 3rd grade (sounds r and th), free printable

    R Sound Words

    Twelve picture words with the r sound at the start, middle or end. The letters that make the sound are underlined.

  3. TH Sound Words worksheet for 3rd grade (sounds r and th), free printable

    TH Sound Words

    Twelve picture words with the th sound at the start, middle or end.

  4. Sound Hunt worksheet for 3rd grade (sounds r and th), free printable

    Sound Hunt

    Six rows that take turns between r and th. Each row has three pictures with the sound and two without. Includes an answer key.

  5. Say It! Board Game worksheet for 3rd grade (sounds r and th), free printable

    Say It! Board Game

    A board game with r and th picture words, a different mix each time you print.

Print the whole packet

One copy of every sheet above, in order. Tap + for more copies (up to 10).

For the parent or teacher

What it is

These sheets give kids short, fun practice with two speech sounds that are among the last many children learn: r (as in rabbit) and th (as in thumb). Some kids are still working on them in 3rd grade. Kids who are practicing r often say w instead (wabbit for rabbit). Kids who are practicing th often say f, t or d instead (fumb for thumb, tink for think, dis for this). Common Core doesn't cover speech sounds, so these sheets have no Common Core code.

What comes next

For deeper practice on one sound, use that sound's articulation set (cue card, picture cards, phrases, sentences, bingo, a board game, a tracker, read-aloud stories and talking practice).

How to teach it

  • Start with the two-sound chart. Show how each sound is made in a mirror before practicing words.
  • For r, the tongue pulls back and the tip doesn't touch anything. For th, the tongue tip peeks out between the teeth.
  • Practice one sound in words before mixing both sounds in the hunt and the game.
  • Keep it short and playful. A few minutes most days is easier to keep up than one long session.
  • Praise effort, not just correct sounds. "I heard that strong growly r!" is more helpful than "No, say it again."
  • If your child is working with a speech-language pathologist, use these sheets for the sounds and word positions they are practicing.

Common mistakes

  • Listening to spelling instead of sound. Wr in wreath makes the r sound.
  • Rounding the lips on r so it sounds like w. A small smile helps.
  • Biting down hard on th. The tongue rests gently between the teeth, and the air flows out slowly.
  • Forgetting that r after a vowel changes the vowel (car, bird, door). Those words are practiced on the Vowel R page in the R set.
  • If your child is hard to understand or gets frustrated when talking, ask your pediatrician or a speech-language pathologist for a check.