LumiraWhat is a consonant blend?
In a consonant blend, two consonants sit side by side and both sounds are still heard. Blends trip up a lot of readers because the sounds run together quickly — the fix is slowing down and stretching each sound in turn, not memorising the pair as a unit.
fl blend words — word list
Every word below appears in the decodable book on this page, so a reader who practises the list will meet the same words again in context.
- flag
- flap
- flat
- flip
- flock
- flop
- fluff
Free decodable book: Decodable Blend FL
This is an original Lumira decodable reader, written so that a child can sound out nearly every word using patterns they have already been taught. The full text is below — read it here, or open it in the app to read it together with the words highlighting as you speak.
Mia has a flag. Leo has a flag too. Mia and Leo like the flag.
Mia can flap it. Leo can flap it too. Mia and Leo flap and flap.
Mia has a flat hat. Leo has a flat hat too. Mia and Leo like the flat hat.
Mia can flip it. Leo can flip it too. Mia and Leo flip and flip.
Mia did not flop. Leo did not flop too. Mia and Leo did not flop on the mat.
Mia has a big flock. Leo has a big flock too. Mia and Leo like the flock.
Flag flap flat flip flop flock fluff. Mia and Leo like them all.
How to teach it
- Say the sound on its own first, several times, before showing any letters.
- Show the spelling and name it explicitly — tell the reader what it says rather than asking them to work it out.
- Blend two or three words from the list together, out loud, slowly.
- Read the decodable book above, where the pattern repeats in real sentences.
- Come back to it two or three days later. Cumulative review is what makes it stick.
Lessons that practise this pattern
Build words: fl blends
Blend CCVC words with initial fl blend — one sound per box