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What Are Consonant Blends? Ideas and Free Resources for Teaching Phonics

Updated: Dec 5, 2023

Consonant blends are groups of two or more consonant letters that are pronounced together but maintain their individual sounds. In English, there are many common consonant blends that are used in words. In this blog post, I will explore what consonant blends are, how they are used, and provide examples of some common blends.


A consonant blend is a group of two or more consonants that are pronounced together without any vowel sounds between them. They can be found at the beginning or end of words, and sometimes in the middle. Consonant blends are important to know because they can change the pronunciation and meaning of a word.



Some common consonant blends include:

  1. bl: This blend represents the sounds of /b/ and /l/ as in "black" or "blender".

  2. cr: This blend represents the sounds of /k/ and /r/ as in "crab" or "crust".

  3. dr: This blend represents the sounds of /d/ and /r/ as in "drive" or "dress".

  4. fl: This blend represents the sounds of /f/ and /l/ as in "flag" or "floor".

  5. gr: This blend represents the sounds of /g/ and /r/ as in "green" or "grape".

  6. pl: This blend represents the sounds of /p/ and /l/ as in "plane" or "play".

  7. tr: This blend represents the sounds of /t/ and /r/ as in "tree" or "train".

Consonant blends are usually introduced early in beginning reading instruction, after the students have learned their short vowel sounds. Knowing these common consonant blends can help children read and spell words more accurately. By practicing these sound combinations in isolation using flash cards, when children encounter a word with a blend, they can articulate the sounds represented quickly. This will help them to decode words more accurately and to understand the meaning of the text they are reading.



There are many fun educational videos available to enhance instruction when teaching consonant blends to your students. Here are just a few:

In a nutshell, consonant blends are groups of two or more consonants that are pronounced together without any vowel sounds between them. There are many common blends in English, including bl, cr, dr, fl, gr, pl, and tr. These blends are important to know because they are so common. By understanding and recognizing these blends, children can become more confident and proficient readers and spellers.

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