what are blend words?

Blending or blend words are one of the many ways to create a new word in English. A blend word is created by merging two existing words together to make a new word. They are very common in this day and age. Let’s take a look at some examples.

For example:

  • breakfast + lunch = brunch (a meal eaten late morning instead of breakfast and lunch)
  • electronic + mail = email (text communication over the internet)
  • glamorous + camping = glamping (posh camping with home comforts)
  • mock + cocktail = mocktail (a non- alcoholic cocktail)
  • work + alcoholic = workaholic (a person who never stops working.

 

Have you heard of any of these before?

blending words examples

list of blending words in English

Here are some more examples for you to familiarise yourselves with plus an example in use.

  • alcohol + pop = alcopop
    example – I don’t want to get wasted tonight, so I’m only taking a couple of alcopops (said no one ever!).
  • bang + smash = bash
    example – Let`s go on the dodgems next, I want to bash the shit out of you.
  • biography + picture = biopic
    example – There`s a biopic on telly tonight, I’m going to stay in and watch it.
  • biology + electronic = bionic
    example – Have you seen the news? Doctors have made a bionic body for a guy who was in a car smash.
  • Bombay + Hollywood = Bollywood
    example – My friend is a Bollywood star.
  • booty + delicious = bootylicious
    example – My body`s so bootylicious baby.
  • boxing + exercise = boxercise
    example – I`m not going to boxercise tonight, I can’t be bothered.
  • breakfast + lunch = brunch
    We`re doing brunch later this week so I’ll ask her then.
  • breath + analyser = breathalyser
    example – Make sure you don’t have more than one drink; the cops are patrolling with breathalysers.
  • British + exit = Brexit
    example – Who in their right mind voted for Brexit?
  • camera + recorder = camcorder
    example – I`m definitely taking the camcorder on my safari holiday.
  • chuckle + snort = chortle
    example – That was so funny, I couldn’t help but chortle to myself.
  • cybernetic + organism = cyborg
    example – You need to watch Terminator, it`s about a cyborg.
  • documentary + shock = shockumentary
    example – I was gobsmacked watching a shockumentary about drugs and crime last night.
  • electricity + execute = electrocute
    example – Don’t touch the socket with wet hands, you`ll electrocute yourself.
  • electronic + mail = email
    example – I just need to check my emails, then I’ll be with you.
  • emotion + icon = emoticon
    example – I taught my mum how to use emoticons, now she keeps bombarding me with them.
  • fan + magazine = fanzine
    example – I`ve unsubscribed to the fanzine for the club, it`s shit.
  • fantastic + fabulous = fantabulous
    example – Darling, fantabulous party last night. I can’t wait for the next one.
  • Frankenstein + food = franken food
    example – I`m not eating any of that franken food, just organic fruit and veg for me.
  • friend + enemy = frenemy
    example – She`s my frenemy. We put up with each other, but I secretly hate her guts.
  • giant + enormous = ginormous
    example – I found a shop that sells ginormous pancakes with any topping you like!
  • glamorous + camping = glamping
    example – We`ll be glamping this year, it rained so much last year all our stuff got destroyed.
  • gleam + shimmer = glimmer
    example – Look at my new car glimmering in the sun.
  • global + English = Globish
    example – My boss is sending me on a Globish course, so I can communicate better with our clients.
  • guess + estimate = guesstimate
    example – I`d guestimate the price to be around $40 per unit.
  • hotel + motor = motel
    example – There`s a nicer motel around the corner, let`s go there.
  • huge + monstrous = humongous
    example – HELP! There`s a humongous spider on my bed.
  • international + network = internet
    example – No internet for a week Timmy! If you can’t tidy your room, you can’t have internet.
  • lion + tiger = liger
    example – Have you seen the cross between a lion and a tiger? It looks lush, it`s called a liger.
  • malicious + software = malware
    example – You need better security on your tablet, there`s lots of malware flying around the net.
  • mock + cocktail = mocktail
    example – Only mocktails for me tonight, I’m driving.
  • motor + pedal = moped
    example – My son wants a moped, I said over my dead body.
  • multiple + complex = multiplex
    example – A new multiplex cinema is being built soon.
  • Oxford + Cambridge = Oxbridge
    example – I`m so clever, my teacher thinks I could go to Oxbridge.
  • parachute + troops = paratrooper
    example – I`d love to be a paratrooper.
  • romantic + comedy = romcom
    example – I`m going to make my boyfriend watch a romcom tonight, he secretly loves them.
  • sex + texting = sexting
    example – I caught my boyfriend sexting his ex. I
  • slang + language = slanguage
    example – Please don’t use slanguage around the boss.
  • smoke and fog = smog
    example – The smog is so bad in Beijing, people have to wear masks.
  • Spanish + English = Spanglish
    example –  Just speak Spanglish, then we can all understand.
  • spoon + fork = spork
    example – Have you seen a spork? It’s great for travelling.
  • sports + broadcast = sportscast
    example – I love the Olympics, sportscasts all day!
  • squirm + wiggle = squiggle
    example – Look at that little fish squiggling around in its tank.
  • stay + vacation = staycation
    example – We can`t afford to go anywhere this year, so we`re having a staycation instead.
  • telephone + marathon = telethon
    example –  I`ll call you later for a catch up, we can have a telethon.
  • video + log = vlog
    example – I need to update my vlog, my parents love seeing what I’ve been up to.
  • web + log = blog
    example – I write a blog for a magazine.
  • web + seminar = webinar
    example – We`ve got a webinar at 9am sharp.
  • work + alcoholic = workaholic
    example – You need to slow down, you`re a workaholic, you`ll end up killing yourself one day.
list of blend words with examples
list of blend words with examples

blend words in use

I’ve made a few stories containing blend words. See if you can understand them.

blending words practice
blending words practice
blending words practice
blending words practice