Here's how it works:
* Two Consonant Sounds: The consonants are pronounced one after the other, but they are still distinct sounds. For example, "bl" in "blue" has the "b" sound followed by the "l" sound.
* Retained Sounds: Unlike consonant digraphs (like "sh" or "th"), each consonant in a blend keeps its individual sound.
* No New Sound: The blend doesn't create a completely new sound; it's just a combination of existing sounds.
Examples of Consonant Blends:
* Two-consonant blends: bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl, br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr, sc, sk, sm, sn, sp, st, sw, tw
* Three-consonant blends: scr, spl, str, shr, thr
Note: Consonant blends are often found at the beginning of words, but they can also appear within words.