Free printable · beginning blends

S blend words

S blends are pairs like st, sp and sn, where s is followed by another consonant at the start of a word. Because you can hold the s sound, they are often the easiest blends to learn.

This page has 35 s blend words in 6 groups, one for each blend. Every word has a short vowel straight after the blend.

sk words

  • skid
  • skill
  • skim
  • skip
  • skit
  • skunk

sm words

  • smash
  • smell
  • smock
  • smog
  • smudge

sn words

  • snack
  • snap
  • sniff
  • snip
  • snug

sp words

  • sped
  • spell
  • spill
  • spin
  • spot
  • spun

st words

  • stack
  • stem
  • step
  • stick
  • stop
  • stub
  • stuck

sw words

  • swam
  • swell
  • swept
  • swift
  • swim
  • swing

How to use this list

  1. Hold the s like a snake ("sssss") and then add the next sound: sss-top, stop. Holding the first sound makes the blend easier to hear.
  2. Keep sessions short: a few minutes a day beats one long session a week.
  3. Ask your child to say each sound and then blend them into the word. If they guess from the first letter, cover the word and go sound by sound again.
  4. Print the flashcards, mix them up, and read them out of order once the list feels easy, so your child is reading the word and not remembering the list.

Frequently asked questions

What is a consonant blend?

Two consonants side by side where you can still hear both sounds, like the f and l in flag. That is different from a digraph such as sh, where two letters make one new sound.

What about sl?

Sl is usually taught with the l blends, so the sl words are on the l blend list.

Why are there no three-letter blends like str or spl?

Those come after two-letter blends. Once these feel easy, try strap, split and scrap: they are the same idea with one more sound.

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