Phonics word list

Ar words

In short

Ar is an r-controlled vowel that says /ar/, as in car, park and garden. The a doesn't say /ă/; the a and r make one new sound. Our checked list has 507 words where ar says /ar/.

At a glance

Words in our list: 507
By syllables: one syllable: 136 · two syllables: 265 · three or more syllables: 106
Taught in: Lesson 77 in the sequence

One spelling, more than one sound

Most lists mix these up. We count each sound separately, so a student practicing one sound only sees words that make it.

How many words in our list spell each sound with ar
Sound	Example	Words	List
/ar/	arm	507	This page
/er/	arise	507	This page

Ar words, most common first

Spelling units show how each word breaks into the letters that spell one sound; a_e is a vowel and silent e working together. Readable after is the first lesson where a student can sound out the whole word.

One syllable

The 60 most common of 136 words. 76 more are in our list.

One syllable
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
arm	ar·m	1	Lesson 77
art	ar·t	1	Lesson 77
bar	b·ar	1	Lesson 77
car	c·ar	1	Lesson 77
far	f·ar	1	Lesson 77
bars	b·ar·s	1	Lesson 77
card	c·ar·d	1	Lesson 77
dark	d·ar·k	1	Lesson 77
farm	f·ar·m	1	Lesson 77
hard	h·ar·d	1	Lesson 77
harm	h·ar·m	1	Lesson 77
mark	m·ar·k	1	Lesson 77
park	p·ar·k	1	Lesson 77
part	p·ar·t	1	Lesson 77
cards	c·ar·d·s	1	Lesson 77
guard	gu·ar·d	1	Not in the sequence
heart	h·e·ar·t	1	Lesson 77
large	l·ar·g·e	1	Lesson 77
march	m·ar·ch	1	Lesson 77
marks	m·ar·k·s	1	Lesson 77
parts	p·ar·t·s	1	Lesson 77
sharp	sh·ar·p	1	Lesson 77
start	s·t·ar·t	1	Lesson 77
charge	ch·ar·g·e	1	Lesson 77
marked	m·ar·k·ed	1	Lesson 77
starts	s·t·ar·t·s	1	Lesson 77
charged	ch·ar·g·ed	1	Lesson 77
arc	ar·c	1	Lesson 77
par	p·ar	1	Lesson 77
arch	ar·ch	1	Lesson 77
arms	ar·m·s	1	Lesson 77
arts	ar·t·s	1	Lesson 77
bark	b·ar·k	1	Lesson 77
cars	c·ar·s	1	Lesson 77
lark	l·ar·k	1	Lesson 77
star	s·t·ar	1	Lesson 77
yard	y·ar·d	1	Lesson 77
armed	ar·m·ed	1	Lesson 77
barks	b·ar·k·s	1	Lesson 77
charm	ch·ar·m	1	Lesson 77
chart	ch·ar·t	1	Lesson 77
farce	f·ar·c·e	1	Lesson 77
harsh	h·ar·sh	1	Lesson 77
parks	p·ar·k·s	1	Lesson 77
parse	p·ar·s·e	1	Lesson 77
scarf	s·c·ar·f	1	Lesson 77
smart	s·m·ar·t	1	Lesson 77
stark	s·t·ar·k	1	Lesson 77
stars	s·t·ar·s	1	Lesson 77
yards	y·ar·d·s	1	Lesson 77
barked	b·ar·k·ed	1	Lesson 77
charms	ch·ar·m·s	1	Lesson 77
charts	ch·ar·t·s	1	Lesson 77
guards	gu·ar·d·s	1	Not in the sequence
hearts	h·e·ar·t·s	1	Lesson 77
parked	p·ar·k·ed	1	Lesson 77
parsed	p·ar·s·ed	1	Lesson 77
starve	s·t·ar·v·e	1	Lesson 77
charmed	ch·ar·m·ed	1	Lesson 77
starved	s·t·ar·v·ed	1	Lesson 77

Two syllables

The 60 most common of 265 words. 205 more are in our list.

Two syllables
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
army	ar·m·y	2	Lesson 77
alarm	a·l·ar·m	2	Lesson 77
apart	a·p·ar·t	2	Lesson 77
argue	ar·g·ue	2	Lesson 115
party	p·ar·t·y	2	Lesson 77
argued	ar·g·u·ed	2	Lesson 115
argues	ar·g·ue·s	2	Lesson 115
artist	ar·t·i·s·t	2	Lesson 77
garden	g·ar·d·e·n	2	Lesson 77
harder	h·ar·d·er	2	Lesson 80
hardly	h·ar·d·l·y	2	Lesson 77
larger	l·ar·g·er	2	Lesson 109
market	m·ar·k·e·t	2	Lesson 77
partly	p·ar·t·l·y	2	Lesson 77
regard	r·e·g·ar·d	2	Lesson 77
remark	r·e·m·ar·k	2	Lesson 77
target	t·ar·g·e·t	2	Lesson 77
charges	ch·ar·g·e·s	2	Lesson 77
farther	f·ar·th·er	2	Lesson 80
garbage	g·ar·b·a·g·e	2	Lesson 77
hardest	h·ar·d·e·s·t	2	Lesson 77
harmful	h·ar·m·f·u·l	2	Lesson 77
largely	l·ar·g·e·l·y	2	Lesson 101
largest	l·ar·g·e·s·t	2	Lesson 109
marking	m·ar·k·i·ng	2	Lesson 77
partial	p·ar·ti·a·l	2	Lesson 119
parties	p·ar·t·ie·s	2	Lesson 110
regards	r·e·g·ar·d·s	2	Lesson 77
remarks	r·e·m·ar·k·s	2	Lesson 77
restart	r·e·s·t·ar·t	2	Lesson 77
started	s·t·ar·t·ed	2	Lesson 77
charging	ch·ar·g·i·ng	2	Lesson 109
farthest	f·ar·th·e·s·t	2	Lesson 77
hardware	h·ar·d·w·are	2	Lesson 112
harmless	h·ar·m·l·e·ss	2	Lesson 77
starting	s·t·ar·t·i·ng	2	Lesson 77
cardboard	c·ar·d·b·oar·d	2	Lesson 78
hardy	h·ar·d·y	2	Lesson 77
radar	r·a·d·ar	2	Lesson 77
alarms	a·l·ar·m·s	2	Lesson 77
arcade	ar·c·a_e·d	2	Lesson 77
arcane	ar·c·a_e·n	2	Lesson 77
arming	ar·m·i·ng	2	Lesson 77
carbon	c·ar·b·o·n	2	Lesson 77
carpet	c·ar·p·e·t	2	Lesson 77
farmer	f·ar·m·er	2	Lesson 80
garble	g·ar·b·le	2	Lesson 77
guitar	gu·i·t·ar	2	Not in the sequence
harden	h·ar·d·e·n	2	Lesson 77
jargon	j·ar·g·o·n	2	Lesson 77
margin	m·ar·g·i·n	2	Lesson 117
marker	m·ar·k·er	2	Lesson 80
pardon	p·ar·d·o·n	2	Lesson 77
alarmed	a·l·ar·m·ed	2	Lesson 77
archive	ar·ch·i_e·v	2	Lesson 118
artists	ar·t·i·s·t·s	2	Lesson 77
barking	b·ar·k·i·ng	2	Lesson 77
cartoon	c·ar·t·oo·n	2	Lesson 90
charter	ch·ar·t·er	2	Lesson 80
darling	d·ar·l·i·ng	2	Lesson 77

Three or more syllables

The 60 most common of 106 words. 46 more are in our list.

Three or more syllables
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
arguing	ar·g·u·i·ng	3	Lesson 115
article	ar·t·i·c·le	3	Lesson 77
seminar	s·e·m·i·n·ar	3	Lesson 77
argument	ar·g·u·m·e·n·t	3	Not in the sequence
articles	ar·t·i·c·le·s	3	Lesson 77
regarded	r·e·g·ar·d·ed	3	Lesson 77
arguments	ar·g·u·m·e·n·t·s	3	Not in the sequence
partially	p·ar·ti·a·ll·y	3	Lesson 119
regarding	r·e·g·ar·d·i·ng	3	Lesson 77
regardless	r·e·g·ar·d·l·e·ss	3	Lesson 77
arbitrary	ar·b·i·t·r·a·r·y	4	Not in the sequence
artificial	ar·t·i·f·i·ci·a·l	4	Lesson 119
archaic	ar·ch·a·i·c	3	Lesson 118
harmony	h·ar·m·o·n·y	3	Lesson 77
insofar	i·n·s·o·f·ar	3	Lesson 77
alarming	a·l·ar·m·i·ng	3	Lesson 77
artistic	ar·t·i·s·t·i·c	3	Lesson 77
enlarges	e·n·l·ar·g·e·s	3	Lesson 117
heartily	h·e·ar·t·i·l·y	3	Lesson 110
marginal	m·ar·g·i·n·a·l	3	Lesson 117
marketed	m·ar·k·e·t·ed	3	Lesson 77
particle	p·ar·t·i·c·le	3	Lesson 77
pharmacy	ph·ar·m·a·c·y	3	Lesson 117
seminars	s·e·m·i·n·ar·s	3	Lesson 77
departure	d·e·p·ar·ture	3	Lesson 120
discarded	d·i·s·c·ar·d·ed	3	Lesson 77
disregard	d·i·s·r·e·g·ar·d	3	Lesson 77
enlarging	e·n·l·ar·g·i·ng	3	Lesson 117
hardening	h·ar·d·e·n·i·ng	3	Lesson 77
hierarchy	h·ie·r·ar·ch·y	3	Lesson 118
marketing	m·ar·k·e·t·i·ng	3	Lesson 77
particles	p·ar·t·i·c·le·s	3	Lesson 77
partition	p·ar·t·i·tion	3	Lesson 119
remarking	r·e·m·ar·k·i·ng	3	Lesson 77
restarted	r·e·s·t·ar·t·ed	3	Lesson 77
sarcastic	s·ar·c·a·s·t·i·c	3	Lesson 77
cartridges	c·ar·t·r·i·dg·e·s	3	Not in the sequence
discarding	d·i·s·c·ar·d·i·ng	3	Lesson 77
partitions	p·ar·t·i·tion·s	3	Lesson 119
pharmacies	ph·ar·m·a·c·ie·s	3	Lesson 117
restarting	r·e·s·t·ar·t·i·ng	3	Lesson 77
counterpart	c·ou·n·t·er·p·ar·t	3	Lesson 96
partitioned	p·ar·t·i·tion·ed	3	Lesson 119
counterparts	c·ou·n·t·er·p·ar·t·s	3	Lesson 96
arguable	ar·g·u·a·b·le	4	Lesson 77
arguably	ar·g·u·a·b·l·y	4	Lesson 77
marginally	m·ar·g·i·n·a·ll·y	4	Lesson 117
remarkable	r·e·m·ar·k·a·b·le	4	Lesson 77
remarkably	r·e·m·ar·k·a·b·l·y	4	Lesson 77
participant	p·ar·t·i·c·i·p·a·n·t	4	Lesson 117
participate	p·ar·t·i·c·i·p·a_e·t	4	Lesson 117
supermarket	s·u·p·er·m·ar·k·e·t	4	Lesson 80
architecture	ar·ch·i·t·e·c·ture	4	Lesson 120
hierarchical	h·ie·r·ar·ch·i·c·a·l	4	Lesson 118
participants	p·ar·t·i·c·i·p·a·n·t·s	4	Lesson 117
participates	p·ar·t·i·c·i·p·a_e·t·s	4	Lesson 117
partitioning	p·ar·t·i·tion·i·ng	4	Lesson 119
arbitrarily	ar·b·i·t·r·a·r·i·l·y	5	Not in the sequence
artificially	ar·t·i·f·i·ci·a·ll·y	5	Lesson 119
participated	p·ar·t·i·c·i·p·a·t·ed	5	Lesson 117

When do these words become readable?

The lessons where the most words on this page become decodable. Words marked not in the sequence have a spelling the sequence never teaches as a pattern.

Lessons where the most words on this page become readable
Readable after	Words
Lesson 77	346
Lesson 78	6
Lesson 80	33
Lesson 109	10
Lesson 110	9
Lesson 117	16
Lesson 118	16
Lesson 119	8
Not in the sequence	19

How do you teach ar words?

Ar is usually the first r-controlled spelling because its sound is clear and almost always the same. "A and r team up and say /ar/, like a pirate." Read car, far, star, then park, barn, cart. Move to two-syllable words (garden, market, carpet), where ar keeps its sound.

What mistake do students make with ar words?

Students read ar as /ăr/ or /ā/ /r/. Underline the team and say "one sound." Spelling errors are rare, since /ar/ is nearly always ar. Watch for warm and war, where ar says /or/ after w.

Where do ar words come in the sequence?

Ar is typically the first r-controlled lesson, followed by or and ore. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 77.

Exceptions worth knowing

After w, ar says /or/ (warm, war, swarm). In unstressed endings, ar says /er/ (dollar, collar, sugar). Our split above counts those separately.

Decodable sentences

Every word in these sentences can be read at Lesson 77 or earlier, or is a heart word taught by then.

The car is in the barn.
We can park in the dark.
Mark the star on the chart.

Questions people ask

What are 5 ar words?

Arm, art, bar, car, far. Those are the five most common of the 507 words where ar says /ar/ in our checked list.

What sound does ar make?

/ar/ as in car. After w (warm) it says /or/, and in unstressed endings (dollar) it says /er/.

What are common ar words?

Car, park, star, farm, hard, start, garden and market.

When can a student read ar words?

Ar words are taught at Lesson 77 in the lesson sequence we use. 346 of the 507 words on this page can be sounded out by then; the rest wait for a pattern taught later, and the tables show the lesson for each word.

How this list was built

Every word comes from our lexicon of common English words, each split into spelling units and checked against a pronouncing dictionary, so a word is listed under the sound its spelling really makes. Words a student sees in our assessments are left out. The readable after lesson comes from our decodability engine, which checks each spelling unit and syllable pattern against the lesson sequence. You can run your own text through the same engine with the free decodable text checker.