What is a Consonant? A Complete How-To Guide

When learning how to speak a new language, learning it’s alphabet is an unavoidable part of the process, the English alphabet includes two types of letters: vowel and consonants. 

Consonants are any vowels that restrict airflow through the vocal tract.

But what’s the point of understanding consonants in the alphabet? Whether you are a native English speaker or learning the language for the first time, there is a lot of importance in understanding what consonants are and the correct way to pronounce them. 

What is a Consonant?

The alphabet is broken up into two types of letters: vowels and consonants. The consonants include B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z.

Consonants are the sounds

from our mouths through the obstruction of breath.

For example,

• T is pronounced using the front part of the tongue.
• K is pronounced using the back part of the tongue.
• B is pronounced with the lips
• H is pronounced in the throat
• F is pronounced by forcing air through a narrow gap
• M is pronounced using the nasal passage

When a consonant is combined with a vowel, a syllable is formed. Enough syllables combined create a complete word, and together language is useful. 

Knowing how to pronounce consonants correctly is the surest way to communicate to listeners clearly. These sounds make language crisp and clear.

Consonants are easier to learn how to pronounce than vowels since there is usually only one way to pronounce consonants. 

Consonants vs. Vowels

Letters of the alphabet are the building blocks of words. But, the purest definition of letters is how our mouth moves to sound out the letter.

Vowels differ from consonants because vowels are the free movement from the mouth versus the obstruction of air in the vocal cords.

For a complete review of vowels and vowel sounds, check out our blog on the topic.

Consonant Blends

Consonant blends are the sounds that are created when you combine two or more consonants. These blends can be found at the beginning or the ending of a word.

For a set of letters to be considered a consonant blend, all of the letters must be individually pronounced; these blends range in complexity, but they all are consistent with including blends of pronounced letters. 

There are many different kinds of consonant blends (since many of these blends create the English language!). Here is a sample of the various blends and examples.

Two-Letter L-Blends

L-blends are the combinations of letters where the second letter is an L.

bl	cl	fl	gl	pl	sl
blend	click	flat	glad	place	slick
blew	clam	flag	glamour	playground	slack
bleed	clean	flower	glowing	plan	slump
bland	claim	flame	gloomier	play	sleigh
blue	class	flamingo	glasses	plant	sleeve
blueberry	clap	flimsy	glass	please	sloppy
black	clay	flake	glaze	pluck	sleek
blanket	close	flu	glance	plastic	sled
bleach	clash	fly	gliding	playpen	sly
blackboard	clothes	flutter	glee	plenty	slot
bleach	climb	fling	glitter	plop	slice
blackboard	cling	flexible	globe	plus	slim
blubber		flipper	glob	plastic	slime
bluebird		float	glove	pliers	slow
blow		fluffy	glue	plywood	sloth
blood		flood		plate	slot
blast		flit		platypus	sleep
blink				plural	slate
bliss				planet
blossom				plum
blatant				plumber
blame

Two-Letter R-Blends

R-blends are the combinations of letters where the second letter is an R.

br	cr	dr	fr	gr	pr	tr
brace	crab	drab	fraction	grab	prairie	truck
bracelet	crack	drive	fragile	grateful	prance	try
bracket	cracker	draft	fragment	grace	pray	trust
brad	crackle	drawer	fragrant	graceful	precious	tray
brag	crater	drag	frail	greyhound	precipitation	tree
braid	cradle	dragon	frame	gracious	precise	trail
brain	crafts	dread	frank	grad	precocious	train
brake	creak	dragonfly	frantic	grade	predict	track
bramble	crag	drain	fraud	grunt	preposition	traffic
bran	cram	dreadful	fray	gradual	present	trade
branch	cramp	drake	free	grieving	president	trash
brand	crisp	dram	freeze	graduate	press	travel
brass	cranberry	dream	freezer	graffiti	prey	treat
brat	crane	drama	freight	great	price	trace
brave	cranefly	dramatic		grizzly	pride	trachea
brawny	crowd	dribble		graft	prim	tract
bray	cranium	drank		graham	primary	traction
breach	creep			grain	prime	tractor
bread	cranky			gram	prince	tradition
break	cranny			gruff	princess	tragedy
breath	crash			grammar		tragic
	crass			gruesome		trailer
	crew			grand		trait
	crate			grandchild		traitor
				growl
				grandfather
				grandmother
				grandchild
				grandparent
				granite
				groovy
				grant
				granular
				graffiti
				grapefruit
				grapes
				grammar
				graph
				grasp

Two-Letter S-Blends

 

sc	sh	sk	sm	sn	sp	st	sw
scab	shack	skate	smack	snack	spa	stab	swab
scabbard	shade	skateboard	smooth	snag	space	stable	swaddle
scarecrow	ship	skinny	smallpox	snow	sport	stand	sweep
scads	shadow	skatepark	smarmy	snail	spacecraft	stack	swagger
scarlet	shake	skedaddle	smooch	snake	spacious	stadium	swallow
scaffold	shore	skunk	smart	snout	spoon	stamp	sweat
scatter	shall	skeet	smash	snap	spackle	staff	swallowtail
scald	sham	skein	smoke	snapdragon	spade	stag	swam
scale	shovel	skull	smattering	snorkel	spicy	stop	swim
scalene	shampoo	skeletal	smear	snapper	spaghetti	stage	swami
scorch	shamrock	skeleton	smidge	snapshot	Spain	stagger	swamp
scallop	shake	sky	smell	snore	spend	crust	swine
scorch	shape	skeptic	smelt	snare	spam	stair	swan
scalp	share	sketch	smear	snarl	span	stake	swanky
scalpel	shiny	skyscraper	smidgen	snuggle	speech	best	sweet
scaly	shark	sketchbook	smile	snatch	spandex	stalactite	swansong
scold	she	skew	smother	snazzy	spank	stalagmite	swap
scam	shoddy	skirt	smirk	snoop	spine	dust	swaddle
scamper	sheep	skewer	smite	sneak	spar	stale	swarm
scorpion	shelf	ski	S’more	sneaker	spare	stalk
scan	shoulder	skim milk	smith	sniffles	spot	stoop
scandal	shell	skid	smitten	sneer	spareribs	stall
scanner		skiff	small	sneeze	spark	stallion
scurry		skill	smock	sneeze	spin	start
scant		skillet	smog	snicker	sparkle	stamp
		skim		snide	sparkler
		skimobile		snake	spy
				sniff	sparrow
				sniffle	sparse
				snip	spell
				snipe	spartan
				sniper	spasm
				snippers	spider
				snippy	spat
				snit
				snivel

Two-Letter T-Blends

th	tw
than	t’was
thank	twang
thanksgiving	tweak
that	tweed
thaw	tween
the	tweet
their	tweeze
them	tweezers
then	twelfth
there	twelve
therefore	twenty
thermometer	twerp
these	twice
they	twiddle
they’re	twig
thick	twilight

Three-Letter Blends

Three-letter blends, or clusters, are a combination of three consonants. Remember, a blend is a set of three letters with distinct letter sounds.

sch	scr	shr	sph	spl	spr	squ	str	thr
schedule	scram	shrank	sphagnum	splash	sprain	squab	straight	thrash
schematic	scramble	shrapnel	sphere	splashdown	sprang	squabble	strain	thread
schoolhouse	scrap	shred	spherical	splat	espresso	squeal	streamlined	throes
scheme	scrapbook	shrew	spheroid	splatter	sprawl	squad	strait	threat
scherzo	scrape	shrewd	sphincter	splay	spray	squadron	strand	three
shwag	scrappy	shriek	sphinx	spleen	missprint	squeak	streetlight	throbs
schism	scratch	shrift		splendid	spread	squalid	strange	thresher
schizophrenic	scrawl	shrill		splendor	spreadsheet	squall	strap	threw
schizy	scrawny	shrimp		splice	springer	squint	strangulate	thrice
schlep	scream	shrine		splint	spree	squalor	straw	through
schlock	screech	shrink		splinter	sprig	squander	strawberry	thrift
schemed	screen	shrivel		split	disprove	squalid	straightforward	thriller
schmooze	screenwriter	shroud		splotchy	spring	square	stray	throughout
scholar	screw	shrub		splurge	springboard	squash	streak	thrive
schtiks		shrug		splurt	jurisprudence	squirrel	instrumentation	throat
scholarship		shrunk		splutter	springbok	squat	stream	threads
scholastic					springtime	squawk	street	throb
schnapps					spreadable	squad	construction	throne
school					sprinkle	squeak	strength	thift
schoolroom					sprinkler	squeal	stress	throng
schoolies					springtime		structure	throttle
schooner					sprint		stress	throbbed
schwa					sprite		stretch	through
					bedspread			throw
					spritz			threatened
					spritzer			thrush
					disproving			thrust
					sprocket
					sprout
					offspring
					spruce
					sprung
					spry

Conclusion

Consonants cannot be used on their own. They must have vowels to create syllables (and words). However, it’s essential to understand the importance of consonants and what qualifies a consonant when learning about language.

For review:

• A consonant is any letter that restricts airflow through the vocal tract.
• There are consonant blends that combine letters to create a complete sound (and word). Two-letter blends are called digraphs, and three-letter blends are called trigraphs.