Your child reads “cat” and “hop” with confidence, blending each sound smoothly. Then they see the word “ship” and carefully say “/s/-/h/-/i/-/p/.” Four sounds for four letters makes perfect sense, right? Except “ship” only has three sounds: /sh/-/i/-/p/. Those two letters, s and h, work together to make a single, brand-new sound.
Welcome to the world of digraphs.
Digraphs are one of the first phonics patterns students encounter after mastering individual letter sounds and CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. They appear in hundreds of everyday English words, and understanding them is essential for reading fluency and accurate spelling. In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about digraphs, including what they are, the most common consonant and vowel digraph patterns, word lists for each, Orton-Gillingham teaching strategies, and activities you can use right away.
What Is a Digraph?
A digraph is a combination of two letters that represent one single sound. The term comes from the Greek roots di (meaning “two”) and graph (meaning “letter” or “writing”). Even though a digraph is written with two letters, it functions as one unit and produces one distinct sound.
For example, in the word “chat,” the letters c and h combine to make the /ch/ sound. You do not hear /k/ and then /h/. Instead, you hear a completely new sound that neither letter makes on its own.
This is the simplest digraph definition to remember: two letters, one sound.
Digraphs are fundamental building blocks of English phonics. The Science of Reading research confirms that explicit, systematic instruction in letter-sound relationships, including digraphs, is the most effective path to reading proficiency.
Digraphs vs. Blends: What Is the Difference?
One of the most common points of confusion in phonics instruction is the difference between digraphs and blends. Here is the simple rule:
- Digraphs: Two letters make one new sound. You cannot hear either individual letter. (sh in “shop” → /sh/)
- Blends: Two or three letters appear together, but you can hear each individual sound. (bl in “blend” → /b/ + /l/)
Think of it this way. In the word “chip,” the ch digraph produces a single sound, /ch/. But in the word “clap,” the blend cl lets you hear both /k/ and /l/ if you listen carefully.
This distinction matters because it changes how students decode words. With a digraph, students must learn to treat the two letters as one unit. With a blend, students can still segment each sound separately.
Common Consonant Digraphs
Consonant digraphs are pairs of consonant letters that produce a single consonant sound. These are typically the first digraphs introduced in a structured literacy curriculum. Below is a complete list of consonant digraphs with example words organized by position.
SH — /sh/ as in “ship”
The sh digraph appears at the beginning, middle, and end of words.
| Position | Example Words |
|---|---|
| Beginning | ship, shop, shell, shut, shade, share, sheep |
| Middle | dishes, fishing, pushing, wishing, bushes |
| End | fish, wish, crash, brush, rush, fresh, cash |
CH — /ch/ as in “chin”
The ch digraph most often makes the /ch/ sound, but it can also make /k/ (as in “school”) or /sh/ (as in “chef”) in words borrowed from other languages.
| Position | Example Words |
|---|---|
| Beginning | chin, chip, chop, chat, chess, child, chain |
| Middle | teacher, kitchen, watching, reaching, hatching |
| End | much, rich, lunch, bench, beach, each, peach |
TH — /th/ as in “thin” and “that”
The th digraph is unique because it represents two different sounds:
- Unvoiced /th/: Your vocal cords do not vibrate. Examples: thin, think, bath, math, path, three, thumb
- Voiced /th/: Your vocal cords vibrate. Examples: that, them, this, the, with, mother, brother
A simple way to tell the difference: place your fingers on your throat. If you feel a vibration, the th is voiced.
WH — /wh/ as in “when”
In most American English dialects, wh sounds the same as /w/. However, some dialects produce a breathy /hw/ sound. Either pronunciation is acceptable.
Example words: when, where, what, which, while, white, whale, wheel, whip, whisper
PH — /f/ as in “phone”
The ph digraph makes the same sound as the letter f. It appears mostly in words with Greek origins.
Example words: phone, photo, graph, elephant, dolphin, alphabet, phrase, pharmacy, nephew
CK — /k/ as in “duck”
The ck digraph appears at the end of one-syllable words right after a short vowel.
Example words: duck, truck, black, clock, neck, stick, rock, lock, kick, trick, back, check
This is an important spelling rule for students to learn: if a one-syllable word has a short vowel sound followed by /k/, you spell it ck.
NG — /ng/ as in “sing”
The ng digraph appears at the end of words and produces a nasal sound made in the back of the throat.
Example words: sing, ring, long, song, bring, thing, strong, young, hang, spring
KN — /n/ as in “knife”
In the kn digraph, the k is silent. This pattern appears only at the beginning of words.
Example words: knife, knee, knot, knock, know, knight, knit, knob, kneel, knowledge
WR — /r/ as in “write”
In the wr digraph, the w is silent. Like kn, this pattern appears at the beginning of words.
Example words: write, wrong, wrap, wrist, wreck, wrestle, wrinkle, wring
GN — /n/ as in “gnat”
In the gn digraph, the g is silent. It appears at the beginning or end of words.
Example words (beginning): gnat, gnaw, gnome, gnarl
Example words (end): sign, design, align, reign
Vowel Digraphs
Vowel digraphs are pairs of vowel letters that represent a single vowel sound. You may also hear them called “vowel teams.” In many vowel digraphs, the first vowel says its name (long sound) and the second vowel is silent. This is the classic phonics rule: “When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.”
Common vowel digraphs include:
- AI — rain, train, paint, wait, tail, brain
- AY — play, day, say, stay, pray, tray
- EE — tree, see, bee, feet, sleep, green
- EA — team, read, beach, seat, clean, eat
- OA — boat, coat, road, toast, foam, soap
- OW — snow, grow, show, low, bowl, flow
- OO — moon, food, school, room (also: book, cook, good — different sound)
Note that some vowel digraphs have more than one pronunciation. The ea digraph, for example, can say /ee/ (as in “team”) or /eh/ (as in “bread”). The oo digraph can say /oo/ (as in “moon”) or /oo/ (as in “book”). These variations are why explicit instruction matters.
For a deeper look at vowel teams and their patterns, see our vowel teams guide.
Digraphs vs. Trigraphs
While a digraph is two letters making one sound, a trigraph is three letters making one sound. Common trigraphs include:
- TCH — match, catch, kitchen, watch, stretch
- DGE — bridge, judge, badge, ledge, hedge
- IGH — light, night, right, sight, high, bright
Trigraphs follow the same core principle as digraphs: multiple letters, one sound. Students who have a solid understanding of digraphs will find trigraphs much easier to learn.
Scope and Sequence: When to Teach Digraphs
In a structured literacy or Orton-Gillingham program, digraphs are introduced systematically after students have mastered these prerequisite skills:
- Letter identification — all 26 uppercase and lowercase letters
- Letter-sound correspondence — each consonant and short vowel sound
- CVC word reading — blending sounds to read three-letter words (cat, sit, hop)
Once these foundations are secure, the typical teaching order for consonant digraphs is:
- SH — introduced first because it is highly frequent and the sound is easy to distinguish
- CH — follows shortly after sh; students can compare and contrast the two
- TH — both voiced and unvoiced versions; introduced after sh and ch
- WH — less distinct from /w/ in American English, but still important for spelling
- CK — introduced with the spelling rule about short vowels
- PH — usually later in first or second grade
- KN, WR, GN — silent letter digraphs introduced in second grade or later
- NG — often introduced alongside word families (sing, ring, thing)
Vowel digraphs are typically introduced after consonant digraphs, beginning in mid-to-late first grade and continuing through second grade.
This sequence ensures that students build on prior knowledge and that each new concept is introduced only when the student is ready. This systematic approach is a hallmark of structured literacy instruction.
How to Teach Digraphs: Orton-Gillingham Strategies
The Orton-Gillingham approach uses multisensory, explicit, and systematic instruction. Here is a step-by-step method for introducing a new digraph using OG principles.
Step 1: Introduce the Sound
Hold up a card showing the digraph (for example, sh). Say the sound: “/sh/.” Have the student repeat the sound. Explain that these two letters work together to make one new sound.
Step 2: Connect Sound to Visual
Show the student several picture cards of words that begin or end with the target digraph. For sh: ship, shoe, fish, brush. Have the student say each word and identify the /sh/ sound.
Step 3: Multisensory Practice
Use a variety of sensory channels:
- Visual: Show the digraph on a card or write it on the board.
- Auditory: Say the sound; have the student repeat it.
- Kinesthetic: Have the student trace the letters on a textured surface such as sandpaper, a carpet square, or a sand tray while saying the sound.
- Tactile: Use letter tiles or magnetic letters to build words with the digraph.
This multi-channel approach helps all learners, and is especially effective for students with dyslexia or other learning differences.
Step 4: Blending Drill
Practice blending the digraph into words:
- Teacher says: “What sound?” (shows sh card)
- Student says: “/sh/”
- Teacher says: “Now let’s build the word ‘ship.’ /sh/ – /i/ – /p/.”
- Student uses letter tiles to build: SH – I – P
Step 5: Reading Practice
Have the student read a list of words containing the target digraph. Start with simple words (ship, shop, shed) and progress to longer words (shampoo, fishing). Then read phrases and sentences that include the new digraph words.
Reading decodable texts that feature the target digraph is one of the most effective ways to reinforce the pattern. Decodable books use only phonics patterns the student has already learned, so they can practice the new skill in connected text without guessing.
Step 6: Dictation and Spelling
Dictate words with the target digraph for the student to spell. Start with individual words, then progress to phrases and sentences:
- “Spell ‘fish.'”
- “Write: The fish is in the dish.”
This step reinforces the encoding (spelling) side of the phonics connection and strengthens the student’s ability to apply the pattern in writing.
Fun Digraph Activities and Games
Hands-on practice helps students internalize digraph patterns. Here are activities that work well in classrooms, tutoring sessions, and at home.
Digraph Sorting
Write digraph words on cards. Create columns labeled sh, ch, th, and wh. Have the student read each word and sort it into the correct column. This reinforces both reading and categorization skills.
Digraph Beanbag Toss
Write digraph words on index cards and set up a basket across the room. Show the student a card, have them read the word, then toss a beanbag into the basket for each sound in the word. For example, “chip” = three tosses: /ch/ – /i/ – /p/. For a complete guide to this game, visit our Digraph Beanbag Toss Game page.
Word Building with Letter Tiles
Give the student letter tiles that include digraph tiles (one tile for sh, one for ch, etc.). Dictate words and have the student build them. Using a single tile for the digraph reinforces that these two letters make one sound.
Digraph Word Hunt
Give the student a short passage and have them highlight or underline all the digraphs they can find. This helps students practice spotting digraphs in connected text, which is the skill they ultimately need for fluent reading.
Sound Mapping
Draw sound boxes on a whiteboard or paper. Have the student segment a word into its individual sounds and write one sound per box. For the word “ship,” the student writes three boxes: sh | i | p. This visual tool helps students see that the digraph fills only one box, reinforcing the one-sound concept.
Digraph Word Lists by Pattern
Below are expanded word lists organized by digraph pattern. Use these for practice, dictation, and word sorting activities.
SH words: ship, shop, she, shell, shed, shut, shade, shin, shelf, shout, dish, fish, wish, cash, rush, brush, crash, flash, fresh, mesh
CH words: chin, chip, chop, chat, chest, child, chain, chair, chalk, cheer, much, each, rich, lunch, bench, beach, peach, teach, reach, coach
TH words (unvoiced): thin, think, three, thumb, bath, math, path, cloth, tooth, month, thank, thick, thorn, throat, through
TH words (voiced): the, this, that, them, then, they, those, there, other, mother, father, brother, weather, together, feather
WH words: when, where, what, which, while, white, whale, wheel, whip, whisper, whine, wheat, whistle, whole
PH words: phone, photo, phase, phrase, graph, dolphin, elephant, alphabet, pharmacy, trophy, nephew, orphan
CK words: back, black, block, brick, check, clock, crack, deck, duck, kick, knack, lick, lock, neck, pack, pick, quick, rock, sick, stick, track, trick, truck, wreck
KN words: knee, kneel, knew, knife, knight, knit, knob, knock, knot, know, knowledge
WR words: wrap, wreath, wreck, wrestle, wring, wrinkle, wrist, write, wrong, wrote
GN words: gnat, gnaw, gnome, gnarl, sign, design, align, resign, reign
NG words: sing, ring, king, bring, thing, long, song, strong, young, hang, bang, string, spring, wing, lung
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a digraph?
A digraph is two letters that combine to represent one single sound (phoneme). For example, sh in “ship” makes one sound, /sh/, even though it is written with two letters.
What are the most common consonant digraphs?
The most common consonant digraphs are sh, ch, th, wh, ph, ck, and ng. Less common but still important are kn, wr, and gn.
What is the difference between a digraph and a blend?
A digraph is two letters that make one new sound (you cannot hear either individual letter). A blend is two or three letters where each individual sound can still be heard. Example: sh is a digraph (/sh/ is one sound); bl is a blend (/b/ + /l/ are two sounds).
What is a vowel digraph?
A vowel digraph is two vowel letters that represent one vowel sound, such as ai in “rain,” ee in “tree,” or oa in “boat.” They are also called vowel teams.
Is CK a digraph?
Yes. The letters c and k together represent the single /k/ sound. It appears at the end of one-syllable words after a short vowel, as in “duck,” “black,” and “stick.”
When should digraphs be taught?
Digraphs are typically introduced after students have mastered letter sounds and can read CVC words. Most structured literacy programs introduce sh, ch, and th in late kindergarten or early first grade.
Is QU a digraph?
This is debated. In English, q is almost always followed by u, and the pair makes the /kw/ sound. Some curricula classify qu as a digraph, while others do not because /kw/ is technically two sounds. Either way, qu is taught as a unit.
What is a trigraph?
A trigraph is three letters that represent one single sound, such as tch in “match,” dge in “bridge,” or igh in “night.”