Lumira

Consonant blend

sl blend words

A word list, a complete free decodable book, and how to teach this pattern — all drawn from Lumira's structured phonics curriculum.

All phonics patterns › sl blend words

What 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.

sl 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.

Free decodable book: Decodable Blend SL

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.

Sam had a sled. Pam had a sled. Sam and Pam had sleds.

Sam can slip. Pam can slip. Sam and Pam did slip and slip.

Tim did slap the mat. Kit did slap the mat. Tim and Kit did slap and slap.

A slot is in the box. A slot is in the tin. Tim did sit on the slot.

Sam is slim. Pam is slim too. Sam and Pam did slip on the sled.

Tim had a slug. Kit had a slug. Tim and Kit had a big slug.

Sam can slid on the sled. Pam can slid on the sled. Sam and Pam did slid and slid.

Slip slap slot sled slim slug slick slob slid slip slap slot.

Tim is slick. Kit is slick too. Tim and Kit did slip on the mud.

Sam had a slot. Pam had a slot. Sam and Pam did slip the pin in the slot.

A slob did not run. A slob did not hop. Sam is not a slob.

Slip slap slot sled slim slug slick slob slid slip slap slot.

Sam and Pam had a sled. Tim and Kit had a slug. Sam and Pam did slip and slid.

Slip slap slot sled slim slug slick slob slid slip slap slot.

How to teach it

  1. Say the sound on its own first, several times, before showing any letters.
  2. Show the spelling and name it explicitly — tell the reader what it says rather than asking them to work it out.
  3. Blend two or three words from the list together, out loud, slowly.
  4. Read the decodable book above, where the pattern repeats in real sentences.
  5. Come back to it two or three days later. Cumulative review is what makes it stick.

Lessons that practise this pattern

Related consonant blend patterns

Practise this in Lumira