Blends & Digraphs

• A blend is two consonants together where both sounds are heard: black, star, tree.
• A digraph is two consonants that make one new sound: ship, chair, think, whale.
• Spotting blends and digraphs helps read and spell longer words.

Level 1 — Core idea

Verbal: In 'black', you can hear both 'b' and 'l' — that is a blend.

Symbolic: bl + ack = black. sh + op = shop.

Visual: Two letters holding hands (blend) vs two letters becoming one new sound (digraph).

Level 2 — Going deeper

Common blends: bl, br, cl, cr, dr, fl, fr, gl, gr, pl, pr, sk, sl, sm, sn, sp, st, sw, tr, tw. Common digraphs: sh, ch, th, wh — say them and notice only one sound comes out.

NCERT anchor

NCERT Class 3 English word-building activities group words by their beginning blend or digraph.

Which blend does 'green' begin with?

Step 1 — Look at the first two letters: g, r
Step 2 — Say them together: 'gr'
Step 3 — Answer: gr ✓

Complete the word: ___op — a place to buy things.

Step 1 — The clue means 'shop'
Step 2 — sh + op = shop
Step 3 — Answer: sh ✓

• Which blend does 'frog' begin with?
• Which word begins with the 'ch' sound: chair or hair?
• Complete: ___ake — a sweet treat baked in an oven.
• Stretch: List three words that begin with 'sh'.

Revision tip: Say the word aloud — one sound means digraph, two sounds means blend.

Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Blends & Digraphs.