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Consonant Blends

Hear both consonant sounds in one word

A consonant blend has two or more consonants together, and each sound can still be heard. In flag, say /f/ /l/ before blending the rest of the word.

What is a consonant blend?

In a blend, the consonants keep their own sounds. clap begins /k/ /l/; drum begins /d/ /r/. This is different from a digraph such as ship, where sh works together to make one sound.

1Say both sounds/c/ /l/

2Add the vowel and ending/c/ /l/ /ă/ /p/

3Blend the wordclap

Listen and read

Common beginning blends

Start with one group. Move on only when the child can hear both first sounds without adding a vowel between them.

L-blends

The second sound is /l/.

clap/klăp/

Clap two times.

flag/flăg/

The flag can flap.

flat/flăt/

The mat is flat.

R-blends

The second sound is /r/.

drum/drŭm/

The drum is big.

frog/frŏg/

The frog can hop.

crust/krŭst/

The crust is hot.

S-blends

The first sound is /s/.

sled/slĕd/

The sled is red.

spin/spĭn/

Spin the top.

stop/stŏp/

Stop at the sign.

Keep the rule clear

Blends are not digraphs

Blend: two sounds

flag · stop · drum

You can hear each consonant sound at the beginning.

Digraph: one sound

ship · chat · thin

The letter pair works together as one consonant sound.

Do not ask a child to memorise every blend at once. Practise a small set, then read the words in a sentence.

Read in context

Blend Practice Sentences

These sentences reuse familiar short-vowel words and add one blend word at a time.

1 Clap and stop.

2 The frog can hop.

3 Spin the red top.

4 The drum is on the mat.

Quick practice

Listen and choose the blend word

Question 1 of 5

Free resource