Phonics word list

BL blend words

In short

Bl is an l blend: b and l side by side at the start of a word, both heard, as in black, blend and blue. Our checked list has 189 words that start with the bl blend.

At a glance

Words in our list: 189
By syllables: one syllable: 89 · two syllables: 95 · three or more syllables: 5
Taught in: Lesson 35c in the sequence

Bl words, most common first

Spelling units show how each word breaks into the letters that spell one sound; a_e is a vowel and silent e working together. Readable after is the first lesson where a student can sound out the whole word.

One syllable

The 60 most common of 89 words. 29 more are in our list.

One syllable
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
blow	b·l·ow	1	Lesson 86
blue	b·l·ue	1	Lesson 91
black	b·l·a·ck	1	Lesson 44
blame	b·l·a_e·m	1	Lesson 54
blank	b·l·a·n·k	1	Lesson 52
block	b·l·o·ck	1	Lesson 44
blew	b·l·ew	1	Lesson 91
blob	b·l·o·b	1	Lesson 26
blade	b·l·a_e·d	1	Lesson 54
blast	b·l·a·s·t	1	Lesson 26
bless	b·l·e·ss	1	Lesson 42
blind	b·l·i·n·d	1	Lesson 72
blink	b·l·i·n·k	1	Lesson 52
bliss	b·l·i·ss	1	Lesson 42
blood	b·l·oo·d	1	Not in the sequence
blown	b·l·ow·n	1	Lesson 86
blows	b·l·ow·s	1	Lesson 86
blues	b·l·ue·s	1	Lesson 91
blurb	b·l·ur·b	1	Lesson 81
blacks	b·l·a·ck·s	1	Lesson 44
blades	b·l·a_e·d·s	1	Lesson 54
blamed	b·l·a_e·m·d	1	Lesson 64
blames	b·l·a_e·m·s	1	Lesson 54
blanks	b·l·a·n·k·s	1	Lesson 52
blasts	b·l·a·s·t·s	1	Lesson 26
blocks	b·l·o·ck·s	1	Lesson 44
blessed	b·l·e·ss·ed	1	Lesson 64
blocked	b·l·o·ck·ed	1	Lesson 64
blab	b·l·a·b	1	Lesson 26
bled	b·l·e·d	1	Lesson 26
blip	b·l·i·p	1	Lesson 26
bloc	b·l·o·c	1	Lesson 26
blog	b·l·o·g	1	Lesson 26
blot	b·l·o·t	1	Lesson 26
blur	b·l·ur	1	Lesson 81
bland	b·l·a·n·d	1	Lesson 26
blare	b·l·are	1	Lesson 112
blaze	b·l·a_e·z	1	Lesson 54
bleak	b·l·ea·k	1	Lesson 85
bleed	b·l·ee·d	1	Lesson 85
blend	b·l·e·n·d	1	Lesson 26
blimp	b·l·i·m·p	1	Lesson 26
blips	b·l·i·p·s	1	Lesson 26
blitz	b·l·i·t·z	1	Not in the sequence
blobs	b·l·o·b·s	1	Lesson 26
blocs	b·l·o·c·s	1	Lesson 26
blogs	b·l·o·g·s	1	Lesson 26
blond	b·l·o·n·d	1	Lesson 26
bloom	b·l·oo·m	1	Lesson 90
blots	b·l·o·t·s	1	Lesson 26
blued	b·l·u·ed	1	Lesson 91
bluff	b·l·u·ff	1	Lesson 42
blunt	b·l·u·n·t	1	Lesson 26
blurs	b·l·ur·s	1	Lesson 81
blurt	b·l·ur·t	1	Lesson 81
blush	b·l·u·sh	1	Lesson 45
blanch	b·l·a·n·ch	1	Lesson 48
blared	b·l·are·d	1	Lesson 112
blares	b·l·are·s	1	Lesson 112
blazed	b·l·a_e·z·d	1	Lesson 64

Two syllables

The 60 most common of 95 words. 35 more are in our list.

Two syllables
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
blaming	b·l·a·m·i·ng	2	Lesson 109
blanket	b·l·a·n·k·e·t	2	Lesson 67b
blasted	b·l·a·s·t·ed	2	Lesson 64
blatant	b·l·a·t·a·n·t	2	Lesson 68
blesses	b·l·e·ss·es	2	Lesson 63
blindly	b·l·i·n·d·l·y	2	Lesson 74
blowing	b·l·ow·i·ng	2	Lesson 86
blasting	b·l·a·s·t·i·ng	2	Lesson 65
blessing	b·l·e·ss·i·ng	2	Lesson 65
blocking	b·l·o·ck·i·ng	2	Lesson 65
blackmail	b·l·a·ck·m·ai·l	2	Lesson 84
blackboard	b·l·a·ck·b·oar·d	2	Lesson 78
bluer	b·l·u·er	2	Lesson 80
blazer	b·l·a·z·er	2	Lesson 80
blazes	b·l·a_e·z·s	2	Lesson 63
bluest	b·l·u·e·s·t	2	Lesson 68
bluing	b·l·u·i·ng	2	Lesson 109
blacker	b·l·a·ck·er	2	Lesson 80
blander	b·l·a·n·d·er	2	Lesson 80
blankly	b·l·a·n·k·l·y	2	Lesson 74
blaring	b·l·a·r·i·ng	2	Lesson 112
blaster	b·l·a·s·t·er	2	Lesson 80
blazers	b·l·a·z·er·s	2	Lesson 80
blazing	b·l·a·z·i·ng	2	Lesson 109
bleaker	b·l·ea·k·er	2	Lesson 85
blended	b·l·e·n·d·ed	2	Lesson 64
blinded	b·l·i·n·d·ed	2	Lesson 72
blinder	b·l·i·n·d·er	2	Lesson 80
blitzes	b·l·i·t·z·es	2	Not in the sequence
blogger	b·l·o·gg·er	2	Lesson 80
blonder	b·l·o·n·d·er	2	Lesson 80
blooded	b·l·oo·d·ed	2	Not in the sequence
blotted	b·l·o·tt·ed	2	Lesson 107
blotter	b·l·o·tt·er	2	Lesson 80
blouses	b·l·ou·s·e·s	2	Lesson 96
blowout	b·l·ow·ou·t	2	Lesson 96
bluffer	b·l·u·ff·er	2	Lesson 80
blunted	b·l·u·n·t·ed	2	Lesson 64
blunter	b·l·u·n·t·er	2	Lesson 80
bluntly	b·l·u·n·t·l·y	2	Lesson 74
blurted	b·l·ur·t·ed	2	Lesson 81
blushes	b·l·u·sh·es	2	Lesson 63
blackest	b·l·a·ck·e·s·t	2	Lesson 67b
blackout	b·l·a·ck·ou·t	2	Lesson 96
blacktop	b·l·a·ck·t·o·p	2	Lesson 67a
blankets	b·l·a·n·k·e·t·s	2	Lesson 67b
blanking	b·l·a·n·k·i·ng	2	Lesson 65
bleakest	b·l·ea·k·e·s·t	2	Lesson 85
bleeding	b·l·ee·d·i·ng	2	Lesson 85
blending	b·l·e·n·d·i·ng	2	Lesson 65
blighted	b·l·igh·t·ed	2	Lesson 87
blinding	b·l·i·n·d·i·ng	2	Lesson 72
blinking	b·l·i·n·k·i·ng	2	Lesson 65
blissful	b·l·i·ss·f·u·l	2	Lesson 67b
bloggers	b·l·o·gg·er·s	2	Lesson 80
blogging	b·l·o·gg·i·ng	2	Lesson 107
blondest	b·l·o·n·d·e·s·t	2	Lesson 67b
blooming	b·l·oo·m·i·ng	2	Lesson 90
blotches	b·l·o·t·ch·es	2	Lesson 63
blotting	b·l·o·tt·i·ng	2	Lesson 107

Three or more syllables

5 words, most common first.

Three or more syllables
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
blatantly	b·l·a·t·a·n·t·l·y	3	Lesson 74
blanketed	b·l·a·n·k·e·t·ed	3	Lesson 67b
blanketing	b·l·a·n·k·e·t·i·ng	3	Lesson 67b
blissfully	b·l·i·ss·f·u·ll·y	3	Lesson 74
blackmailing	b·l·a·ck·m·ai·l·i·ng	3	Lesson 84

When do these words become readable?

The lessons where the most words on this page become decodable. Words marked not in the sequence have a spelling the sequence never teaches as a pattern.

Lessons where the most words on this page become readable
Readable after	Words
Lesson 26	23
Lesson 64	13
Lesson 65	11
Lesson 67b	10
Lesson 80	13
Lesson 81	8
Lesson 85	9
Lesson 91	11
Not in the sequence	10

How do you teach bl words?

B can't be stretched, so teach bl by sliding from the l back. "Lack. Now put a quick /b/ in front. Black." Practice with lap, black, lot, blot. Lips close for /b/ and open straight into /l/; a mirror helps.

What mistake do students make with bl words?

Students say /bul/ with an extra vowel (bulack). Say the word with them and shorten the gap until the b and l touch. Spelling bl as b alone is the other slip; tap four sounds in blob.

Where do bl words come in the sequence?

Bl comes with the other l blends after short vowels. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 35c.

Exceptions worth knowing

In words like table and noble, b and l are split by a syllable (ta-ble) and l belongs to the -le ending, so bl is not a blend there.

Decodable sentences

Every word in these sentences can be read at Lesson 35c or earlier, or is a heart word taught by then.

The blob is on the flat mat.
Blot the spot on the mat.
Blend the jam and the plum.

Questions people ask

What are 5 bl words?

Blow, blue, black, blame, blank. Those are the five most common of the 189 words that start with the bl blend in our checked list.

What are some bl words?

Black, blend, blank, blink, blob, blast and block. Longer ones include blanket and blossom.

Is bl a digraph?

No. Both b and l keep their own sounds, so bl is a blend.

When can a student read bl words?

Bl words are taught at Lesson 35c in the lesson sequence we use. 23 of the 189 words on this page can be sounded out by then; the rest wait for a pattern taught later, and the tables show the lesson for each word.

How this list was built

Every word comes from our lexicon of common English words, each split into spelling units and checked against a pronouncing dictionary, so a word is listed under the sound its spelling really makes. Words a student sees in our assessments are left out. The readable after lesson comes from our decodability engine, which checks each spelling unit and syllable pattern against the lesson sequence. You can run your own text through the same engine with the free decodable text checker.