Consonant blends chart
A consonant blend is two or three consonants side by side where you can still hear each one: b and l in black, s, t and r in string. This chart groups the blends by their letters, with three words for each.
Free printable PDF, 1st grade to 2nd grade.
One page, black and white, prints the same every time.
What is on the sheet
l blends
| Blend | Words |
|---|---|
| bl | black, block, blue |
| cl | clap, clock, cloud |
| fl | flag, flat, fly |
| gl | glad, glass, glue |
| pl | plan, plum, play |
| sl | sled, slip, sleep |
r blends
| Blend | Words |
|---|---|
| br | brick, brown, bread |
| cr | crab, crib, cry |
| dr | drum, dress, drip |
| fr | frog, fruit, from |
| gr | grass, green, grin |
| pr | press, prize, print |
| tr | tree, truck, trip |
s blends
| Blend | Words |
|---|---|
| sc | scab, scarf, scoop |
| sk | skip, skate, sky |
| sm | smell, small, smile |
| sn | snack, snail, snow |
| sp | spin, spot, spoon |
| st | stop, star, step |
| sw | swim, swing, sweet |
Ending blends
| Blend | Words |
|---|---|
| nd | hand, pond, wind |
| nt | tent, plant, mint |
| mp | lamp, jump, camp |
| st | nest, fast, list |
| sk | desk, mask, task |
| lt | belt, melt, salt |
| ft | gift, left, soft |
| lk | milk, silk, bulk |
Three-letter blends
| Blend | Words |
|---|---|
| scr | scrub, scrap, scream |
| spl | splash, split, splint |
| spr | spring, spray, sprout |
| str | string, strap, street |
| squ | squid, squint, squeeze |
Reading a blend
Say each sound in the blend, then push them together: b, l, bl, black. The sounds stay separate, which is the difference between a blend and a digraph such as sh, where two letters make one new sound. A blend word has as many sounds as consonants in the blend: frog has four letters and four sounds.
Start with the l, r and s blends at the start of a word, because a blend there is easier to hear. Ending blends come next, and the three-letter blends last, once the two-letter ones are easy.
Where blends come up
1st grade says the sounds of a word and blends them together, consonant blends included (CCSS RF.1.2b), and decodes regular one-syllable words such as stamp and frog (RF.1.3b). In 2nd grade blends turn up in longer words: splashing, instrument.
Common questions
- Is squ a blend?
- Many programs teach it as one, because qu says kw. So squ is three sounds, s, k and w, which are blended together as in squid.
- What about nk and ng?
- They are left off on purpose. The n in think and sing does not make its usual sound, so many programs teach nk and ng as their own sounds, not as blends. The digraphs chart has ng.