Consonant Blends (bl, cr, st)
Learn consonant blends like bl, cr and st to read words like black, crab and star. A fun phonics lesson for ages 4-6 with word-building games.
Key takeaways
- A blend is two letters that keep both their sounds
- Say each sound, then push them together
- bl, cr and st start lots of fun words
Two letters, two sounds
A blend is when two letters stand next to each other and you hear both of their sounds. You say each sound and then push them together fast. Let's try bl, cr and st!
The bl blend
Say b... then l... now blend them: bl!
- bl + ack = black ⬛
- bl + ue = blue 🔵
- bl + ock = block 🧱
The cr blend
Say c... then r... now blend them: cr!
- cr + ab = crab 🦀
- cr + y = cry 😢
- cr + own = crown 👑
The st blend
Say s... then t... now blend them: st!
- st + ar = star ⭐
- st + op = stop 🛑
- st + ick = stick 🪵
A little word list
Read these blend words out loud:
- black ⬛
- blue 🔵
- crab 🦀
- crown 👑
- star ⭐
- stop 🛑
Try the games below to build your own blend words!
When you can blend two letters, you are ready to learn blending sounds into words. You can also practise your single letter sounds A to M.
Quick quiz
Test yourself and earn XP
What two letters blend at the start of 'crab'?
Crab starts with the cr blend: c and r together.
Which word starts with the bl blend?
Black starts with bl.
In a blend, how many sounds do you hear?
In a blend you still hear both letter sounds.
Play & learn
Blend cards +5 XP
Completed ✓ +5 XP
Build the blend words +10 XP
Completed ✓ +10 XP
FAQ
A blend is two consonants next to each other where you can still hear both sounds, like bl in blue.
In a blend you hear both sounds (st). In a digraph the two letters make one new sound (sh).
Keep exploring
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