• 76 words

Phonic Blends Word Lists: l, r, s and Three-Letter Blends

Pick a blend family, then print its list or hear it read aloud as a test.

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The 19 words of this list. Add or change any. For your own list, press Clear first.

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List 1: l blends, bl cl fl gl pl sl (blanket)

Words to learn. Read each word, cover it, write it, then check it.

  1. 1.blanketSpread the blanket on the grass.
  2. 2.blenderPut the berries in the blender.
  3. 3.blisterMy new shoes gave me a blister.
  4. 4.blueberryA blueberry fell off my pancake.
  5. 5.bluebirdA bluebird sang on the fence.
  6. 6.cloverBees buzzed over the clover.
  7. 7.cleverThe fox in the story was clever.
  8. 8.cliffGulls nest on the side of the cliff.
  9. 9.clinicWe got our flu shots at the clinic.
  10. 10.flipperA seal waved one flipper at us.
  11. 11.flutterMoths flutter around the porch light.
  12. 12.fluffyThe kitten has fluffy white fur.
  13. 13.flickerThe candle began to flicker.
  14. 14.gliderThe glider floated without an engine.
  15. 15.gloomyIt was a gloomy, rainy morning.
  16. 16.plentyThere is plenty of room on the bus.
  17. 17.slitherSnakes slither across the ground.
  18. 18.slumberThe bear will slumber all winter.
  19. 19.slenderA slender stick held up the tomato plant.

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Each word is read aloud, then used in a sentence. Type what you hear. The marks come at the end.

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Accents do not count: café may be typed as cafe, and the marks show how it is written.

Only voices built into this device are used, so the words are not sent to a speech service to be read. With no voice, a person reads the words from the last page of the test sheet.

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Next step Start with short blend words: clam, gripTest your own words the same way

All 76 words

List 1: l blends, bl cl fl gl pl sl (blanket) 19

  • blanket Spread the blanket on the grass.
  • blender Put the berries in the blender.
  • blister My new shoes gave me a blister.
  • blueberry A blueberry fell off my pancake.
  • bluebird A bluebird sang on the fence.
  • clever The fox in the story was clever.
  • cliff Gulls nest on the side of the cliff.
  • clinic We got our flu shots at the clinic.
  • clover Bees buzzed over the clover.
  • flicker The candle began to flicker.
  • flipper A seal waved one flipper at us.
  • fluffy The kitten has fluffy white fur.
  • flutter Moths flutter around the porch light.
  • glider The glider floated without an engine.
  • gloomy It was a gloomy, rainy morning.
  • plenty There is plenty of room on the bus.
  • slender A slender stick held up the tomato plant.
  • slither Snakes slither across the ground.
  • slumber The bear will slumber all winter.
Show all 76 words (57 more)

List 2: r blends, br cr dr fr gr pr tr (cricket) 20

  • bracket A metal bracket holds up the shelf.
  • bramble My sleeve caught on a bramble.
  • brunch We ate brunch late on Sunday.
  • cradle The doll sleeps in a wooden cradle.
  • cricket A cricket chirped under the porch.
  • crispy The fries were hot and crispy.
  • crumble Dry cookies crumble in your hand.
  • crystal A snowflake is a crystal of ice.
  • dragon The dragon in the book breathed fire.
  • dresser Fold your shirts into the dresser.
  • dribble Dribble the ball down the court.
  • freckle She has a freckle on her nose.
  • frosty The grass was frosty at dawn.
  • gravel The truck dumped gravel on the path.
  • griddle Dad cooks eggs on the griddle.
  • grumpy I get grumpy when I am hungry.
  • prickly A cactus is prickly to touch.
  • printer The printer is out of paper.
  • tremble My hands tremble when I am cold.
  • trickle A trickle of water ran down the wall.

List 3: s blends, sc sk sm sn sp st sw (sticker) 18

  • scamper Mice scamper along the wall.
  • scatter The birds scatter when the dog runs over.
  • scooter She rides her scooter to the park.
  • skater The skater spun on the ice.
  • skillet Fry the onions in a skillet.
  • skinny A skinny cat slipped through the fence.
  • smuggle The puppy tried to smuggle a sock outside.
  • sneaker One sneaker is missing its lace.
  • snowy We went sledding on a snowy day.
  • snuggle Kittens snuggle close to stay warm.
  • sparkle The lake seemed to sparkle in the sun.
  • speckle Each egg had a brown speckle.
  • spooky The old house looked spooky at night.
  • stapler The stapler is out of staples.
  • sticker I got a gold sticker for reading.
  • stumble Watch the roots so you do not stumble.
  • sturdy Build the fort with sturdy boxes.
  • swallow A swallow darted over the pond.

List 4: three-letter blends, scr spl spr str squ (scribble) 19

  • scramble We had to scramble up the rocks.
  • scraper Use the scraper to clear ice off the window.
  • scratchy This wool hat feels scratchy.
  • screwdriver Use a screwdriver to open the battery door.
  • scribble My baby brother likes to scribble.
  • scrimmage The team played a scrimmage before the season.
  • scrunch Scrunch the paper into a ball.
  • splashy The ducks made a splashy landing.
  • splatter Paint will splatter if you shake the brush.
  • splendid We had a splendid day at the fair.
  • splinter I got a splinter from the old bench.
  • sprinkle Sprinkle cheese on top of the pasta.
  • sprinkler We ran through the sprinkler.
  • squeaky The squeaky wheel needs oil.
  • squiggle Draw a squiggle and turn it into a picture.
  • streamer We hung a streamer across the door.
  • strength It takes strength to lift the log.
  • stroller The baby napped in her stroller.
  • struggle It was a struggle to open the jar.

How this list was compiled: Words chosen, sorted into 4 lists by blend family and given sentences for this site. The sorting is ours. Each word has a consonant blend at the start, two or three consonants whose sounds are all heard, and most have two syllables, so the page goes past the one-syllable blend words on our CVC words with blends page. No word here is on another spelling or phonics list of this site (checked against each of them). SPELLINGS AND SOUNDS: the headword line of all 76 words was read on 2026-09-24 at https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q= plus the word (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language), and each word's Wiktionary homophones line (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ plus the word). Left out on purpose: grizzly, which sounds the same as grisly; words with a second spelling on the headword line (pliers, also plyers; trolley, also trolly) or on Wiktionary (smoky, also smokey); and swimmer and sprinter, which are not headwords. Facts in sentences are plain dictionary facts: a glider flies without an engine, a snowflake is an ice crystal, snakes slither, crickets chirp. THE GRADE BAND stored with each word (1-2 for Lists 1 to 3, 2 for List 4) is our suggestion and no standard's. It was informed by the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Reading: Foundational Skills 1.2b (blend sounds, including consonant blends) and 2.3c (two-syllable words), which list no words (https://corestandards.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ELA_Standards1.pdf). SPELLINGS: every word is in the macOS word list. SENTENCES are ours and none repeats a sentence in another dataset of this site (checked 2026-09-24). Licence: own work

How it works

These phonic blends word lists hold 76 words, one blend family to a list: l blends, r blends, s blends and three-letter blends. Most words have two syllables, such as blanket, cricket and scribble. Pick a list to print or test.

Read the full guide

Blend families, list by list

List 1 is the l blends bl, cl, fl, gl, pl and sl: blanket, clover, glider. List 2 is the r blends br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr and tr: cricket, dragon, printer. List 3 is the s blends sc, sk, sm, sn, sp, st and sw: scooter, sneaker, sticker. List 4 joins three letters: scr, spl, spr, str and squ.

Word wall blends, printed

Word list prints the open list with a sentence under each word, ready to cut up for a wall. Test sheet has numbered lines and a last page for the grown-up who reads aloud; ABC order and Missing letters come from the same words. Start test reads each word, its sentence, then the word again.

  • For List 4, have the child say the two-letter blend first, then add the third letter: sp, spl, splinter.

Questions and answers

What are phonic blends?

Two or three consonants side by side where you still hear every sound: b and l in blanket, s, p and l in splinter. They differ from digraphs, where two letters make one new sound, like sh.

Which blends should a child learn first?

Most programs start with one-syllable words and the s, l and r blends, then three-letter blends. Our CVC words with blends page has the one-syllable words; these lists are the two-syllable next step.

Why is grizzly not on the list?

It sounds the same as grisly. The test reads a sentence with every word, but these lists skip such pairs so no answer is marked wrong for the other spelling.

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