S blends Worksheet: st, sp, sn, sm, sk and sw (Free PDF)

What’s in the PDF

• Page 1: trace each blend (st, sp, sn, sm, sk and sw) next to a picture, then circle the blend that starts each of 12 pictures.
• Page 2: write the missing blend for six picture words, then read five words and match them to their pictures.
• Page 3: an answer key with every picture name.

Read the instructions aloud for children who are still learning to read. Say each picture name together first.

What are s blends?

The s-blends on this page are st, sp, sn, sm, sk and sw. In each one, you hear both sounds. Some, like st and sp, can also come at the end of a word, as in nest and wasp. Bigger blends like str and spl build on these later.

How to say the blends

Hiss a short /s/ and move straight into the next sound without stopping: s-t, s-p, s-n. Because /s/ can be stretched, children can say “sssss-nail” slowly, then speed it up into snail.

Examples

• st: stop, step, star, stick
• sp: spot, spin, spoon, spider
• sn: snap, snip, snail, snake
• sm: smell, smile, small, smoke
• sk: skip, skin, skunk, skis
• sw: swim, swan, swing, sweet

How to teach it

Snakes are perfect for s-blends: hiss, then add a sound. Try “sss-tar” and “sss-poon”, then say them quickly. Show how adding s to a word makes a new word: top to stop, nap to snap, wing to swing. Then do the worksheet, tracing the six blends, circling the blend that starts each picture and writing the missing blend.

Common mix-ups

Children often drop the s and read “top” for stop, or leave out the second letter, as in “sop”. Encourage them to point to each letter. With sk, remember that sc can make the same sound, as in scarf.

Game: Snake makes new words

Write some words without the s: top, nap, wing, pin, mile. Your child is the snake: they hiss and add an s to the front of each word, then read the new word aloud. Stop, snap, swing, spin and smile!

Questions to ask

• What do we get if we put s in front of top?
• Can you stretch the s, then say the word quickly?
• Which s-blend can come at the end of a word?

Practise next

Try L blends, R blends, sh digraph. Warm up with the letter s sound. Reading CVC words confidently first? See our CVC word worksheets.