Blends are two or three consonants grouped together, with each letter keeping its own sound. L-blends are highly reliable. When the letters bl, cl, fl, kl, pl, and sl appear together as a blend, they will almost always sound the same. L-blends most often appear in the initial position as in blink, clean, flower, klutz, plant, and slow. There is an exception in pronunciation for sl when the s is silent, as in island.