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A.1 Complete words with three-letter consonant blends

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What are three-letter consonant blends?

Three-letter consonant blends are groups of three consonants that appear together in a word. When read, you can still hear each consonant sound, even though they blend smoothly.

Examples:
  • strstrong
  • sprspring
  • splsplash
Helpful hint

Remember: three-letter blends are different from digraphs because every letter keeps its own sound.

How do you read three-letter blends?

To read a three-letter blend, say each consonant sound quickly and smoothly, without adding extra vowels. Blending helps you read words more fluently.

Examples:
  • scrscrub
  • shrshrimp
  • thrthree
Helpful hint

Practice slowly at first. Blend the sounds together until they flow as one smooth part of the word.

Common three-letter consonant blends

Here are some of the most common three-letter consonant blends you will see in reading and writing:

Blend List:
  • str → street, strong
  • spr → spring, spray
  • spl → splash, split
  • scr → scrub, screen
  • shr → shrimp, shrink
  • thr → three, throw
Helpful hint

Notice that three-letter blends usually come at the beginning of words. Listen carefully for each consonant sound.

Using three-letter blends in sentences

Reading words with three-letter blends in full sentences helps you understand and remember them better.

Examples:
  • “The spring flowers are blooming.”
  • “He took the strong rope and tied it.”
  • “The three friends went on a trip.”
Helpful hint

When you read aloud, try to say each consonant sound clearly, but blend them quickly so the word sounds natural.