When children begin learning to read, understanding consonant blends is an important step. R-blends are two-letter combinations where the letter R follows another consonant at the beginning of a word—like br, cr, dr, and more. Both sounds are heard clearly, making them different from digraphs (which produce a single sound). These blends help young readers break down words, recognize patterns, and improve pronunciation and spelling accuracy.
Summary Table of R-Blend Starters
Blend |
Example Words |
br |
brick, bring, brush, brave, bread |
cr |
crab, crash, creep, crown, crust |
dr |
drum, drop, drive, drag, drill |
fr |
frog, fruit, frame, fry, freeze |
gr |
grass, grow, green, grape, ground |
pr |
print, prize, proud, press, prop |
tr |
trip, trap, truck, tree, train |
1. br- Blend Words
brag |
broom |
brick |
branch |
bring |
brave |
bread |
brush |
brake |
bride |
brown |
break |
2. cr- Blend Words
crab |
crust |
crib |
crumb |
crop |
creep |
crack |
crash |
crash |
crown |
3. dr- Blend Words
drop |
draw |
drum |
drive |
drip |
dream |
dress |
drill |
drag |
drink |
4. fr- Blend Words
frog |
frame |
from |
fresh |
free |
fry |
front |
friend |
fruit |
freeze |
5. gr- Blend Words
grab |
great |
grin |
green |
grass |
grow |
grape |
group |
grill |
ground |
6. pr- Blend Words
pray |
prize |
|
proud |
price |
press |
prop |
prim |
prove |
prank |
7. tr- Blend Words
trap |
truck |
trip |
tree |
trim |
trail |
track |
train |
trick |
trust |
Learning R-blends is a great way to help children develop smoother reading fluency and spelling confidence. By practicing words that begin with blends like br, cr, dr, and others, young readers start to see familiar letter patterns and decode new words more easily. Keep exploring and reviewing these blends regularly through reading, writing, and word games to build a strong phonics foundation.
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