DW Blend: Speech Therapy Guide, Words & Games
The /dw/ blend is written /dw/ in the phonetic alphabet, and most children master it by age 5. This guide covers how to make the /dw/ blend, 18 practice words split across initial and medial position, and the errors children make most often.
Example DW Blend words: dwight, dwarf, dwell, dwelling (beginning); edward, broadway, sandwiches, hardware (middle).
The /dw/ blend joins the /d/ and /w/ sounds — the "dw" in dwarf, dwell and dwindle. It is the voiced partner of /tw/: the same two movements with the voice running from the start. English has only a handful of /dw/ words, so this is a short list by nature.
How to Make the DW Blend
If /tw/ is already there, get /dw/ by saying "twin" and turning the voice on from the very beginning; a hand on the throat makes the difference easy to feel. Do not chase volume on this one — there are only a few real words, and those are the ones to practise.
IPA Symbol: /dw/
Most children master the /dw/ blend by age 5. Blends arrive after the sounds they are made of: the /D/ and /W/ sounds each have to be reliable on their own before the cluster will hold, which is also the order to practise them in. Two-sound blends are generally in place somewhere between ages 4 and 7, tracking the sounds inside them — the ones containing /L/ or /R/ come in later than the rest.
Common DW Blend Errors
- Cluster reduction — producing only the /D/ sound and dropping the rest of the blend. This is by far the most common blend error.
- Cluster reduction — producing only the /W/ sound and dropping the rest of the blend. This is by far the most common blend error.
- Substituting the /T/ sound for one of the sounds inside /dw/.
DW Blend Word Lists by Position
Practice these words organized by where the /dw/ sound appears. Start with the position your child finds easiest, or open the complete DW Blend word list.
Initial DW Blend Words
/dw/ at the beginning of words
Medial DW Blend Words
/dw/ in the middle of words
More DW Blend Word Lists & Resources
Related Sounds
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