BR
as in bridge
- brain
- brake
- branch
- brand
- brass
- brave
R Blend Words for Speech Therapy
R blends pair /r/ with another consonant at the start of a word — br as in bridge, tr as in train. Every list below is checked against the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary, so the blend is present in the pronunciation, not just the spelling.
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CR
as in crab
- crack
- craft
- crash
- cream
- creek
- crest
DR
as in drum
- draft
- drag
- drain
- draw
- drawn
- dream
FR
as in frog
- frame
- frank
- fraud
- free
- freeze
- freight
GR
as in grass
- grab
- grace
- grad
- grade
- grain
- grams
PR
as in prize
- praise
- pray
- prep
- press
- price
- pride
TR
as in train
- trace
- track
- tract
- trade
- train
- trance
STR
as in string
- straight
- strain
- strand
- strange
- strap
- stream
THR
as in three
- thread
- threat
- three
- throat
- through
- throw
Why practice R blends separately?
Blends are typically mastered later than single consonants, and a child who says /r/ well on its own may still simplify it inside a cluster — saying tain for train. That pattern is called cluster reduction, and it is a normal stage before blends settle.
Lists organized by blend let you target exactly the cluster a student reduces. Start with the blend selected by the SLP — the lists do not choose a treatment target or replace clinical judgment.
What is cluster reduction? Read the guideWord pronunciations are checked with the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary.
All R word listsTherapy guides
How to teach the R sound
Techniques with published support, why R is a family of sounds, and a realistic teaching sequence.
Read the guideCluster reduction
“Top” for “stop”: when it fades, which clusters to target first, and minimal pairs that work.
Read the guideThe cycles approach
Who cycles is for, which patterns to target first, and how one cycle runs.
Read the guideFree · 5 packs to start · no card
Build a practice pack for any of these blends
Pick a blend, an age band and a theme. Every word is pronunciation-checked before the PDF is built, and the picture cards, dab game, data sheet and home letter all come from the same list.
Form pre-filled with/r/Blends
No card requiredNo student namesFailed generations refunded
One pack includesPractice pack
- Picture cards: word, phrase, sentence8–16 verified words, each with its own picture plus a phrase and a sentence for the next level.
- Say & dab gameBig pictures with 10 dots each: 60 practice turns with no prep.
- Data sheet + probeMark 10 tries per word, then check untrained words for carryover.
- Home practice letter (B&W)Simple steps for parents and a 7-day tracker that prints on any printer.
One print-ready PDF on US Letter. Any page you don’t need can be switched off before generating.