Consonant Clusters | Talking English

Consonant Clusters

Here’s a comprehensive list of common consonant clusters in English, organized by the number of consonants involved.

1. Two-Consonant Clusters

Initial Clusters

• /bl/ : black, blue, blow – The blue sky looked beautiful.
• /br/ : brown, break, bring – The brown dog barked loudly.
• /ch/ : chair, change, cheese – The chair was old but sturdy.
• /cl/ : clap, clean, clear – The kids clap at the end of the show.
• /cr/ : cry, creep, crack – The baby began to cry loudly.
• /dr/ : dry, dream, drive – The roads were dry after the storm.
• /fl/ : fly, flip, flag – The bird began to fly above the trees.
• /fr/ : free, fresh, friend – She likes to keep her ideas free from restrictions.
• /gl/ : glass, glow, glad – The glass shattered into tiny pieces.
• /gr/ : green, great, ground – The green grass was freshly mowed.
• /pl/ : play, please, plant – Let’s play a game after dinner.
• /pr/ : press, prime, proud – She felt proud of her achievements.
• /sc/ : school, score, scream – The children walked to school together.
• /sh/ : ship, shoe, shine – The ship sailed across the sea.
• /sl/ : slip, slide, slow – Be careful not to slip on the ice.
• /sm/ : smile, smoke, small – She gave a warm smile.
• /sn/ : snow, snap, snake – The snow fell gently overnight.
• /sp/ : space, spin, speak – The dancer began to spin gracefully.
• /st/ : stop, star, stand – The car came to a sudden stop.
• /sw/ : swim, sweet, swing – They went for a swim in the lake.
• /tr/ : tree, truck, train – The tree stood tall in the garden.
• /tw/ : twin, tweet, twenty – The twin babies are sleeping.

Final Clusters

• /ld/ : old, held, gold – The house looked old and abandoned.
• /lf/ : half, self, golf – She cut the cake in half.
• /lm/ : film, calm, helm – They watched a classic film together.
• /mp/ : jump, lamp, camp – The athlete performed a high jump.
• /nd/ : hand, land, bend – He shook her hand firmly.
• /nt/ : hint, plant, want – She gave a useful hint.
• /rk/ : park, work, jerk – They parked by the lake.
• /rt/ : heart, start, smart – She has a kind heart.
• /sk/ : mask, task, brisk – He finished the task quickly.
• /sp/ : crisp, grasp, lisp – The apple was fresh and crisp.
• /st/ : must, rust, past – We must be on time.

2. Three-Consonant Clusters

Initial Clusters

• /str/ : street, strong, stream – The kids walked down the street together.
• /spl/ : split, splash, splendid – The water splashed onto the rocks.
• /spr/ : spring, sprout, spray – Flowers began to bloom in the spring.
• /shr/ : shrimp, shred, shroud – They ate grilled shrimp for dinner.
• /trs/ : stress, trust, traps – She tried to manage her stress well.

Final Clusters

• /nts/ : plants, wants, hints – The farmer planted many plants this season.
• /rds/ : birds, cards, words – The birds chirped in the trees.
• /rks/ : parks, works, jerks – We visited many parks last summer.
• /fts/ : lefts, shifts, drafts – The wind caused sudden shifts in the weather.

3. Four-Consonant Clusters

Initial Clusters

• /str/ + more : street, strong, stream, strap, stress, strike, string, structure – They had to follow the structure of the essay.
• /spls/ : splash, splurge, split, splatter, splint, splendor – The kids loved the water splash zone.

Final Clusters

• /mp+t/ : tempt, jumped, attempt, stamped, camped, exempt – He jumped over the puddle.
• /nts+s/ : pants, hints, prints, rents, tents, events, students – The students prepared for their exams.