What Are Consonant Blends?
A consonant blend (also called a consonant cluster) is two or three consonant letters that appear together in a word, where each letter keeps its own sound. You can hear both sounds when you say the word slowly.
Blend vs. Digraph: In a blend (bl, cr, st), you hear both sounds. In a digraph (sh, ch, th), the two letters make one completely new sound.
Beginning Blends (Initial Blends)
L-Blends
bl-
blue, black, blend, block, blank, blow, blind, bloom
cl-
clean, class, clock, cloud, climb, close, clap, clay
fl-
flag, fly, floor, flower, flat, flame, flip, float
gl-
glass, glow, glad, globe, glue, glide, glove, glitter
pl-
play, plan, plant, place, plate, please, plus, plum
sl-
sleep, slow, slide, slip, slim, slope, slug, slice
R-Blends
br-
brown, bring, bread, bright, break, brave, bridge, brush
cr-
cross, cry, cream, crash, crown, crab, crisp, crawl
dr-
dream, drive, drop, drum, draw, drink, dress, dry
fr-
free, friend, from, fresh, frog, fruit, frame, front
gr-
green, grow, great, grass, ground, group, gray, grip
tr-
tree, true, train, trip, truck, track, try, trade
S-Blends
sc- / sk-
score, school, skip, sky, scare, skin, scale, skate
sm-
small, smile, smart, smell, smoke, smooth, smash, smug
sn-
snow, snake, snap, snack, snore, sneak, snail, snug
sp-
space, speak, spin, spot, speed, spell, sport, spring
st-
start, stop, stand, star, step, store, still, stone
sw-
swim, sweet, swing, switch, sweep, swam, swirl, swift
Three-Letter Blends
str-
street, strong, string, stripe, stream, stretch, strike, strange
spr-
spring, spray, spread, sprint, sprout, sprinkle, sprite
scr-
screen, scream, scratch, scrub, scroll, script, scrap
spl-
splash, split, splendid, splinter, splice, splotch
Ending Blends (Final Blends)
-nd
and, hand, send, wind, found, round, stand, friend
-nk
bank, think, drink, pink, sank, trunk, blank, thank
-mp
jump, camp, lamp, bump, stamp, pump, dump, stomp
-st
fast, best, list, most, first, just, past, rest
-lt
salt, felt, melt, belt, built, guilt, bolt, jolt
-ft
left, soft, gift, lift, craft, shift, drift, swift
Quick Review
Key points:
1. Blends keep each consonant sound — say them slowly to hear both
2. Blends can appear at the beginning or end of words
3. Three-letter blends (str-, spr-, scr-) are common in English
4. Do not confuse blends with digraphs (sh, ch, th make one sound)
1. Blends keep each consonant sound — say them slowly to hear both
2. Blends can appear at the beginning or end of words
3. Three-letter blends (str-, spr-, scr-) are common in English
4. Do not confuse blends with digraphs (sh, ch, th make one sound)