The GL Sound
Related Pages
Phonic Sounds
Consonant Digraph
Other Consonant Sounds
More Lessons On English Grammar
English for Kids
Videos and songs to help First Grade kids learn how to pronounce consonant blend GL.
Learn words that begin or end with GL.
Learning the “Gl” Consonant Blend
The “gl” sound in English is a consonant blend, which means it consists of two consonant sounds pronounced together. Both consonants retain their distinct sounds:
/g/ as in “go,” and
/l/ as in “light.”
When you pronounce the “gl” blend, you combine both the “g” and the “l” sounds quickly in succession. The “g” comes first, followed immediately by the “l”.
Example: “gl” as in “glass”, “glove”, or “glow”
The following diagram shows some examples of words that start with GL. Practice saying these “gl” blend words to learn to the “gl” blend sound. Scroll down the page for more examples.
Examples of Words with the “Gl” Blend
“Gl” at the Beginning of Words
glacier, glare, glass, glow, globe, glance, glide, glitter, glow, glimmer, glove, glue, glitter, glasses
How to Practice the “gl” Sound?
- Practice the individual sounds: Say the “g” sound and the “l” sound separately, making sure each sound is clear. Then combine them to pronounce “gl.”
- Slow down: Start slowly with words like “glass”, “glove”, and “glow”. Focus on the correct articulation of both consonants.
- Increase speed: As you get more comfortable, increase your speed while maintaining clarity.
Practice Sentences with the “gl” Sound:
The glass is on the table.
He wore a leather glove.
The glow of the moon was beautiful.
I caught a glimpse of the actor.
Her dress is glorious and glittery.
What Is a Blend?
Blends are two letters that begin words and each letter sound can be heard.
bl, cl, gl, sl
Blends Words Gl
Blend words that start with Gl.
Two letters that come together and keep their own sounds are taught in school as “letter blends”
Practice reading GL words
Consonant blends (also called letter blends) are 2 letters that come together and keep their own sounds.
Phonics blends gl
Phonics reading book for children learning the ‘gl’ sound
Gluing my Glider
Learn the Sounds of the Letters
Learning Short Vowels
| Short Vowels | ||
|---|---|---|
| Short A | Short E | Short I |
| Short O | Short U | Short Vowels |
Learning Long Vowels
| Long Vowels | ||
|---|---|---|
| Long A | Long E | Long I |
| Long O | Long U | Y (vowel) |
| Long Vowels | Short, Long Vowels | |
Compare Short & Long Vowels
| Short & Long Vowels | ||
|---|---|---|
| Short & Long A | Short & Long E | Short & Long I |
| Short & Long O | Short & Long U | Short I & Long E |
Learning Consonants
| Consonant Blends | ||
|---|---|---|
| BL Sound | CL Sound | FL Sound |
| GL Sound | PL Sound | SL Sound |
| BR Sound | CR Sound | DR Sound |
| FR Sound | GR Sound | PR Sound |
| TR Sound | SK Sound | SN Sound |
| SP Sound | ST Sound | Str, Scr, Spr |
| Nd, Nt, Nk | ||
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