Add an L or R

About this worksheet

Six picture pairs, like bush and brush or pug and plug, where adding l or r makes a brand new word. Includes an answer key.

What kids practice

An l-blend is a consonant joined to l at the start of a word, like fl in flag. An r-blend is a consonant joined to r, like fr in frog. Both sounds are said, with no stop in between. L and r are both later sounds for many children, so blends with them can take extra practice. Kids who are still working on them often say w for the l or r (fwog for frog, pwane for plane), drop it (fog for frog), or add a little vowel between the sounds (fuh-rog). Common Core doesn't list blends in 3rd grade, so these sheets have no Common Core code.

Watch for

• Saying w for l or r (fwog, pwane). Practice the l or r sound alone first, then add the first sound in front of it.
• Dropping the l or r (fag for flag). Say the word slowly and listen for both sounds.
• Adding a vowel (puh-lane). Keep the two sounds touching, like train cars with no gap.
• Mixing up l-blends and r-blends (frute for flute). The L or R? sheet gives practice telling them apart.
• If your child is hard to understand or not improving, ask a speech-language pathologist for a check.

It's free to print, with an answer key. See the full l-blends and r-blends guide for 3rd grade.