Consonant Blends Teaching Resources
Explore consonant blends worksheets, word lists, reading center activities, educational posters and games to use in your elementary school classroom this school year!
This collection of TEKS ELAR and Common Core ELA curriculum-aligned and editable teaching resources has been created by teachers for teachers. Save time on your lesson plans with easy-to-implement activities and worksheets that you know have been carefully curated and reviewed by our expert teacher team. Each one is designed to help unlock those "aha" moments in your students.
New to teaching this part of the curriculum? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including a definition of consontant blend, and a list of common blends in the English language.
What Is a Consonant Blend?
In phonics, the term consonant blend is used to refer to two or three consonant sounds that are pronounced together but retain their individual sounds.
Blends are formed by placing two or three consonants together in a word. For example, early readers may encounter "fr" in frog. That's a consonant blend!
Blends can sometimes be confused with digraphs or trigraphs — where two or three letters come together to represent one sound (eg. sh or th) — but there is a difference. With a blend, the individual sounds can still be heard. In the example of "frog," you still distinctly hear an "f" and an "r" when pronouncing the word out loud.
Blends are commonly found at the beginning of words or syllables, and they're important in developing reading and spelling skills.
Consonant Blends vs. Sound Blends
Does the definition we described sound exactly like something you've always heard described as a sound blend? That's because these two concepts are the same thing! A sound blend is just a consonant blend with a different name.
Regardless of the name, learning these blends can be an important step in phonics instruction. It can help students develop their word decoding skills as they learn to recognize the individual sounds that make up the word.
Consonant Blend Examples to Share With Your Students
We already mentioned 'fr,' but there are plenty more consonant blends that your students will encounter at the beginning of a word, in the middle of a word, or at the end. Some of the more common blends we teach in early literacy include l-blends, r-blends and s-blends, but there are plenty more in the English language!
Beginning consonant blends — sometimes called initial consonant blends — include:
- bl-: blue, black, blast, blossom
- br-: brown, brick, branch, breath
- cl-: class, clear, climb, clip
- cr-: crab, cry, cross, crown
- dr-: draw, dress, dream, drink
- fl-: flag, fly, flame, flower
- fr-: frog, from, fruit, front
- gl-: glad, glass, glide, globe
- gr-: grape, green, grass, great
- pl-: play, place, plant, plus
- pr-: print, proud, problem, price
- sc-: scan, scare, scope, scuba
- sk-: skate, skip, skill, sky
- sl-: slide, slow, sleep, sleeve
- sn-: snack, snake, snap, snow
- sp-: spin, spot, space, spoke
- st-: stay, stop, store, story
- sw-: swim, swing, sweet, switch
Consonant blends at the end of words — often called final consonant blends — include:
- -ct: fact, insect, act, direct
- -ft: craft, gift, soft, lift
- -mp: jump, bump, lamp, pump
- -nd: sand, hand, sound, found
- -nt: want, paint, scent, bent
- -sk: desk, mask, risk, task
- -sp: wasp, crisp, grasp, clasp
- -st: last, fast, best, test
- -pt: adapt, kept, swept, wept
- -ld: cold, hold, wild, field
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Word Chain Worksheet - Beginning L Blends
Manipulate the individual phonemes in words to create new ones with this differentiated word-building worksheet.
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Blends and Digraphs Clip Card Reading Center
Practice identifying digraphs and blends in word through interactive Google slides and traditional PDF printable formats.
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Common Blends and Digraphs Bookmarks
These bookmarks are designed to help students remember some of the most common blends and digraphs while reading.
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Google Interactive L-Blends Word Building Activity
Engage young readers to tackle L-blend words with an engaging and inviting Google Interactive activity.
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Google Slides Interactive- CCVC Word Building Activity
Practice identifying consonants, vowels, blends, and digraphs sounds while spelling 22 CCVC (consonant-consonant-vowel-consonant) words.
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L-Blends Blending Flashcards
Practice blending l-blends with this set of blending l word cards.
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S-Blends Blending Flashcards
Practice different s blends with this set of flashcards.
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Bump! R Blends - Board Game
A board game to practice decoding words with an r-blend.
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S Blend Words - Word Wall
Print and display S-blend words in your classroom with a printable set of 64 s-blend word cards.
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L Blend Words - Sound Wall Cards
Introduce and explore words containing an initial l-blend with a set of 32 sound wall cards with L-blend words.
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S-Blends Word List
Introduce and explore words containing an initial s-blend using an s-blends word list.
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L - Blends Word List
Introduce and explore words containing an initial l-blend with a list of L-blend words.
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Word Study List - Ending Blends
Introduce and explore words containing ending blends with this extensive list of words.
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Word Study List - R Blend Words
Introduce and explore words containing an initial r-blend with this extensive list of words.
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Apple Barrel Blends - Sorting Center
Supplement your phonics lessons with a consonant blend “Apple Barrel” sorting center.
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Google Interactive S-Blends Activity
Help your readers practice their S-blend skills with fun, interactive Google Slides word-building activities.
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Google Interactive R-Blends Activity
Decode and spell r-blend words with phonemes gr, tr, br, cr, dr, pr, and fr.
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Google Interactive R-Blends Sort and Write Activity
Bring technology into your guided reading lessons, and achieve mastery of r-blend words with a fun, pirate-themed learning activity.
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Google Interactive Initial S-Blends Activity
Decode and segment words by identifying the s-blend words with phonemes sp, sl, sm, sn, sc, st.
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Match or TRASH! - R Blends Card Game
Practice decoding and reading 15 initial R blend words with our matching card game.
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Match or BLAST! - L Blends Match-Up Game
Practice decoding and reading 15 initial L blend words with our matching card game.
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Match or STRIKE OUT! - S Blends Match-Up Game
Practice decoding and reading 15 initial S blend words with our matching card game.
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Bump! Final Blends - Board Game
A board game to practice decoding words with a final consonant blend.
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BUMP! L Blends - Board Game
A board game to practice decoding words with an l-blend.
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Building Sundaes Game - S Blends
Build a sundae to practice decoding words with S consonant blends.
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Building Sundaes Game - R Blends
Build a sundae to practice decoding words with R consonant blends.
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Building Sundaes Game - L Blends
Build a sundae to practice decoding words with L consonant blends.
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R Blends Dominoes
Practice decoding and spelling words that feature R consonant blends with this set of 28 dominoes.
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L Blends Dominoes
Practice decoding and spelling words that feature L consonant blends with this set of 28 dominoes
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S Blends Dominoes
Practice decoding and spelling words with S consonant blends.
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FIND IT! R Blends Board Game
Practice decoding and spelling words with this board game that focuses on R consonant blends.
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FIND IT! L Blends Board Game
Practice decoding and spelling words with this board game that focuses on L consonant blends.