Every word is made of sounds. Say the word cat. Say it slowly. You can hear more than one sound in it.
Step 1: Let's Learn
Read it, or press Listen and follow the words.
Two parts
Cat has a first sound and an ending. The first sound is /k/. The ending is /at/.
Blend To push sounds together to make a word.
Sounds, not letter names
The letter is called "see". But the sound is /k/. Use the sound. "See-at" is not a word. /k/ and /at/ make cat.
Slow, then fast
Say /k/ … /at/ slowly. Leave a little gap. Now say it again with no gap. You said cat. That is blending.
The sounds do not change
You did not add anything. You did not take anything away. You only stopped leaving a gap.
One ending, many words
Keep the ending /at/. Change the first sound. You get cat, hat, mat, pat, sat. Five words from one ending.
Not every blend is a word
Blend /h/ and /ig/. You get hig. You blended it right. But hig is not a word. That is fine. Try another first sound.
Step 2: Try It Yourself
Change one part. Say the new word out loud.
/k/as in cup/at/as in catcatthe whole word
/k/ is hard for a computer to say on its own — it comes out as “kuh”. Listen for it at the start of cup instead.
| First sound | /k/, written c |
|---|---|
| Ending | /at/, written at |
| Blended | cat |
| Is it a word? | A word you know |
| Words you know ending in at | mat, cat, hat, pat, sat |
Say it slowly: /k/ … /at/ … cat. Then say it fast. That is blending — the sounds do not change, you just stop leaving a gap between them. Keep the at ending and change the first sound, and you get mat, cat, hat, pat, sat. One ending, lots of words.
Step 3: Watch an Example
One step at a time.
Watch Sam Blend a Word
Sam wants to say a word made of /m/ and /ap/.
- Step 1
He says the first sound. /m/
Watch Sam Fix a Mistake
Sam tries /s/ and /at/. First he uses the letter name.
- Step 1
He says "ess" and "at". That gives "ess-at".
Watch Sam Land on a Non-Word
Sam tries /m/ and /ig/.
- Step 1
He says the first sound. /m/
Step 4: Your Turn
Practice makes it stick.
At the Farm
Problem 1 of 2
Blend /p/ and /ig/. What animal is it?
On the Bed
Problem 2 of 2
Blend /h/ and /at/. What do you wear on your head?
Say It Fast
1 of 5
Blend /m/ and /op/. What word is it?
2 of 5
Blend /c/ and /an/. What word is it?
3 of 5
Which word starts with /s/?
4 of 5
Cat and hat have the same ending. What is it?
5 of 5
You blend /h/ and /ig/. Is hig a word?
Step 5: Quick Check
Show what you know.
Question 1 of 1
Blend /p/ and /an/. What do you cook in?
What You Learned
- Words are made of sounds.
- A word has a first sound and an ending.
- Say the parts slow, then say them fast.
- Not every blend is a real word.