Consonant Digraphs | Varsity Tutors

Section 1

Why Do Two Letters Work Together?

You already know that each letter of the alphabet can make its own sound. The letter s says /s/ and the letter h says /h/. But what happens when we put them side by side? Something cool! They stop making their own sounds. Instead, they make a brand-new sound that neither letter makes alone. We call this a consonant digraph.

The word digraph comes from two old words. Di means "two" and graph means "write." So a digraph is two letters that are written together to spell one sound. People have been writing English this way for a very long time!

Long, Long Ago

People spoke English before anyone could write it. They made sounds like /sh/ and /ch/ with their mouths every day.

Writing Begins

When people began to write, they needed a way to show those sounds. English only has 26 letters, but we make more than 40 sounds!

Letter Teams

Writers decided to put two letters together to show one sound. That is how sh, ch, th, and wh were born.

Today

Now every first grader learns these letter teams so they can read and write hundreds of words!

Here is the big question this lesson answers: When you see two consonant letters side by side, what sound do they make together? Let's find out!

Section 2

The Big Four Digraphs

There are four consonant digraphs you will see again and again. Each one is a team of two letters that makes one sound. Say each sound out loud as you learn it!

sh

Say it: /sh/ — like the sound you make when you say "Shh, be quiet!" Words: ship, fish, shop.

ch

Say it: /ch/ — like the sound a train makes: "Choo-choo!" Words: chin, much, chop.

th

Say it: /th/ — put your tongue between your teeth and blow! Words: this, bath, thin.

wh

Say it: /wh/ — it sounds a lot like /w/ with a puff of air. Words: when, whip, whale.

✦ Key Takeaway

Think of a digraph like a pair of best friends who hold hands. When s and h hold hands, they do not say their own sounds anymore. They make a special team sound — /sh/! Every consonant digraph works the same way: two letters, one new sound.

Section 3

See the Digraphs in Words

Look at the picture below. Each word has a digraph hiding inside it. The digraph letters are colored so you can spot them fast!

Diagram showing four words with colored digraphs: ship, chop, bath, whale

Did you notice? The digraph can be at the beginning of a word like ship, or at the end of a word like bath. No matter where the digraph sits, the two letters still make one sound together.

Section 4

How to Read a Digraph

When you are reading a word and you see two consonant letters next to each other, ask yourself: "Do these two letters make one sound together?" If the answer is yes, you have found a digraph! Here is how to use it.

How to Read a Digraph

Step 1 — Spot the digraphLook at the word. Find the two letters that are a team. Circle them in your mind. For example, in the word chat, the letters c and h are the team.

Step 2 — Say the team soundRemember the one sound the team makes. ch says /ch/.

Step 3 — Blend the soundsNow blend the digraph sound with the rest of the word. /ch/ + /ă/ + /t/ = chat. You did it!

Diagram showing how each digraph sounds, with mouth tips and example words

Try saying each sound right now! Put your hand in front of your mouth. You will feel air when you say /sh/ and /wh/. You will feel your tongue move for /th/. And you will feel a little pop of air for /ch/.

Section 5

Word Sort: Where Is the Digraph?

A digraph can show up at the beginning of a word, or at the end of a word. The table below sorts words into these two groups.

Digraph	At the Beginning	At the End
sh	ship, shell, shut	fish, wish, brush
ch	chin, chop, chest	rich, much, lunch
th	this, thin, them	bath, path, with
wh	when, whale, whip	— (wh almost always starts a word!)

Did you see something neat? The digraph wh almost always comes at the beginning of a word. You will not find it at the end. But sh, ch, and th can come at the beginning or the end!

✦ Key Takeaway

Think of digraphs like puzzle pieces. Some puzzle pieces fit at the start of the picture, and some fit at the end. The digraph wh is a special piece — it only fits at the start!

Section 6

Let's Try One Together

Let's read the word chick step by step.

Reading the word "chick"

Step 1 — Find the digraphLook at the first two letters: c and h. That is the digraph ch!

Step 2 — Say the digraph soundThe digraph ch makes the sound /ch/.

Step 3 — Sound out the restThe letter i says /ĭ/. The letters ck say /k/.

Step 4 — Blend it all together/ch/ + /ĭ/ + /k/ = chick 🐣

Great job! You just used a digraph to read a word. Try doing the same thing with the word shell. What digraph do you see? What sound does it make?

Section 7

Digraphs vs. Blends — What's the Difference?

Sometimes two consonants sit next to each other, but they both keep their own sounds. That is called a blend, not a digraph. In a digraph, the two letters make one new sound. In a blend, you can hear both sounds.

	Digraph	Blend
How many sounds?	One new sound	Two sounds you can hear
Example letters	sh, ch, th, wh	bl, st, cr, fl
Example word	chip → /ch/ is one sound	clap → /k/ + /l/ are two sounds
Easy test	Can you split the sound? No!	Can you split the sound? Yes!

✦ Key Takeaway

Here is a quick trick: try to say each letter's sound by itself. If you can hear both sounds (like /s/ and /t/ in stop), it is a blend. If the two letters make a sound that neither one makes alone (like sh in shop), it is a digraph!

Section 8

What's Next?

Now that you know the four main consonant digraphs, you are ready for even more letter teams! In second grade and beyond, you will learn about vowel digraphs like ea, oa, and ai, where two vowel letters make one sound. You will also meet new consonant teams like ph (which says /f/ like in phone) and kn (which says /n/ like in knot).

	What You Know Now	What's Coming Next
Type	Consonant digraphs	Vowel digraphs & more consonant teams
Examples	sh, ch, th, wh	ea, oa, ai, ph, kn, wr
Big idea	Two letters → one sound	Same big idea, new letter teams!

The more digraphs you learn, the more words you can read all by yourself. That is pretty amazing!

Section 9

Practice Time!

Try these five questions. Click Show Answer when you are ready to check your work.

PROBLEM 1 — WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

What is a consonant digraph? Can you explain it in your own words?

PROBLEM 2 — FIND THE DIGRAPH

Look at the word thin. Which two letters make the digraph? What sound does it make?

PROBLEM 3 — BEGINNING OR END?

Read these two words: ship and fish. Both have the digraph sh. Where is the digraph in each word — at the beginning or at the end?

PROBLEM 4 — DIGRAPH OR BLEND?

Look at these two words: chop and clap. One word starts with a digraph and one starts with a blend. Which is which? How can you tell?

PROBLEM 5 — THINK HARD!

Can you think of a word that has two digraphs in it? (Hint: one digraph at the beginning and one at the end!) Try your best before you look at the answer.

Summary

What We Learned

A consonant digraph is two consonant letters that work as a team to make one brand-new sound. The four main digraphs are sh (like in ship), ch (like in chop), th (like in thin), and wh (like in whale). Each digraph makes a sound that neither letter makes on its own.

Digraphs can appear at the beginning or the end of a word (except wh, which almost always comes first). They are different from blends, where you can hear each letter's own sound. When you spot a digraph in a word, say its team sound, blend it with the other sounds, and you can read the whole word. Keep practicing, and soon you will spot digraphs everywhere you look!