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.
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 |
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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 |
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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!
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.