A consonant blend is two or more consonants that appear together at the beginning of a word. Each consonant keeps its own sound, but the sounds are blended smoothly together.
Unlike digraphs, each letter in a blend makes its own sound. Practice sliding the sounds together quickly.
These blends begin with a consonant followed by the letter l. Both sounds are spoken close together.
Say the first consonant sound clearly, then move right into the /l/ sound without pausing.
These blends begin with a consonant followed by the letter r. Both sounds are pronounced, but the /r/ sound is strong.
Be sure not to drop the first sound. Both sounds must be heard when blending with /r/.
S blends start with the letter s followed by another consonant. The /s/ sound connects smoothly into the next sound.
Hold the /s/ sound briefly, then connect it quickly with the next consonant.
When reading, look at the beginning of words to see if two consonants appear together. Spotting blends will help you read more smoothly.
Circle or underline blends in practice words. This helps your eyes and ears work together to spot them quickly.
When you see a blend, say both consonant sounds close together. Then, blend the sounds with the rest of the word.
Cover the ending of the word and practice just the blend first. Then read the full word by adding the remaining letters.