What Single Letter Makes a Common English Word

Examples of Consonant Blends + Word List

When there are two consonants together and each makes its own sound, it's called a consonant blend. Consonant blends are more common than you think — you probably read and say hundreds of them a day! Take a look at some consonant blend examples and consonant blend lists to help you understand this basic phonics concept.

fl consonant blend example fluffy, flute, flower

Two-Letter Consonant Blend Examples

Consonant blends, also defined as consonant clusters, appear in words of all lengths. You're likely to find them in CCVC words, but they can be found in longer words as well. For example, in the word "drink," the letters "d" and "r" are part of a two-letter consonant blend. You can clearly hear the sounds of both of these letters, making it a consonant blend. Take a look at more examples of two-letter consonant blends that you see every day.

L-Blend Examples

When the second letter in a two-letter consonant blend is an "l," it's called an l-blend. In fact, the word "blend" is an l-blend! More examples of l-blends include:

Blend	Shorter Words	Longer Words
bl-blends	black, blow, blue	blanket, blouse, blunder
cl-blends	clam, clap, close	clarify, clever, cluster
fl-blends	flat, flip, flute	flower, fluffy, flutter
gl-blends	glad, glow, glue	glamour, glitter, global
pl-blends	plan, play, plug	platter, please, plenty
sl-blends	slam, sled, slop	sleeve, sleigh, slipper

R-Blend Examples

When the second letter in a two-letter consonant blend is an "r," it's called an r-blend. Most of the consonants above can be found in r-blends as well.

Blend	Shorter Words	Longer Words
br-blends	brag, brim, brown	bracelet, bright, brother
cr-blends	crab, crow, cry	crayon, create, cricket
dr-blends	draw, drop, dry	dragon, dresser, drowsy
fr-blends	frog, from, free	freezer, friend, frosting
gr-blends	grab, grin, grow	grandparent, gratitude, grocery
pr-blends	pray, price, pride	practice, pretty, promise
tr-blends	tray, tree, try	tractor, treasure, trustworthy

S-Blend and T-Blend Examples

The last two types of two-letter consonant blends involve "s" and "t." When the first letter in a two-letter consonant blend is an "s," it's an s-blend, and when it's a "t," it's called a t-blend.

Blend	Shorter Words	Longer Words
sc-blends	scab, scale, scar	scooter, scorpion, sculpture
sk-blends	ski, skip, sky	skeleton, sketch, skinny
sm-blends	smart, smell, smile	smitten, smooth, smudge
sn-blends	snap, snob, snow	sneaker, sneeze, snuggle
sp-blends	spend, spit, spot	special, spinach, sponge
st-blends	star, step, stop	stocking, storage, stuffing
sw-blends	swan, sweet, swim	sweater, swollen, swindle
tw-blends	twig, twirl, twin	twelve, twenty, twinkle

Three-Letter Consonant Blend Examples

Three-letter consonant blends are made up of three consonants that aren't separated by any vowels. Like two-letter blends, you still say the sound of each letter when you pronounce the blends. Common three-letter consonant blends include:

Blend	Shorter Words	Longer Words
scr-blends	scrap, screw, scrub	scratch, scream, scribble
shr-blends	shred, shrub, shrug	shriek, shrimp, shrivel
spl-blends	splat, splay, split	splash, splendid, splinter
spr-blends	spray, spree, sprig	spread, spring, sprinkle
str-blends	strap, stray, strip	strange, street, struggle
thr-blends	three, threw, throb	thread, throat, through

Consonant Blends vs. Consonant Digraphs

When two consonants together make a single distinct sound, it is called a consonant digraph. There are still two letters, but you can only hear one sound. Common digraphs include:

• ch - change, chill, churn
• sh - shake, shout, shut
• th - that, think, thud
• wh - what, where, why

It can be hard to tell the difference between consonant blends and digraphs. All you need to remember is that digraphs create only one sound, while blends carry both sounds forward.

Printable List of Common Consonant Blends

If you'd like a list of the common consonant blends, download and print the list below. It's a great way to double-check your phonics and writing skills!

View & Download PDF

Learn to Blend

Many of these consonant blends probably look familiar to you since we all use words with them on a daily basis. Part of understanding how words sound in English is learning to use or recognize consonant blends. As a fun consonant blend activity, see if you can make your own consonant blend sentences by using as many l-blends, r-blends, s-blends, or t-blends as you can in one sentence.

What Single Letter Makes a Common English Word

Source: https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-consonant-blends.html

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