How many sounds does a blend, such as fr, represent?

A blend represents two distinct sounds. In the example given, "fr" is made up of the individual sounds /f/ and /r/. When pronouncing a blend, each phoneme retains its own sound, allowing them to be articulated together in quick succession. This ability to identify and produce each sound independently is crucial for developing phonemic awareness, which is an essential skill in early reading and language development. Blends differ from digraphs, where two letters combine to produce a single sound, thus reinforcing why the correct answer is that a blend consists of two sounds.