Digraphs for kids are pairs of letters that work together to represent one speech sound. In ship, the letters sh spell the /sh/ sound. In chair, ch spells the /ch/ sound. In thin and this, th spells two different English sounds. This guide provides 60 digraph word examples with meanings, sentences and activities for reading and spelling.
The central distinction is digraph versus blend. In ship, the s and h are not two separate spoken consonants; together they spell one. In slip, by contrast, the s and l both retain their sounds. A child who can tell these patterns apart has a clearer way to decode unfamiliar words than one who relies on memorising their outlines.
Start with a single digraph that appears in words the child understands. Show the letters, say the sound naturally, blend the whole word and talk about what the word means. A successful reading lesson must connect print to sound and then to useful ideas.
Quick answer and how to use this guide
- sh usually spells /sh/ in ship and fish.
- ch commonly spells /ch/ in chair and lunch; it has exceptions, including chorus and chef.
- th can spell the voiceless sound in thin or the voiced sound in this.
- ph often spells /f/ in words such as phone and dolphin.
- wh is pronounced like /w/ by many speakers and distinctively by some accents.
- ck usually spells one /k/ sound at the end of words such as duck.
- ng often spells one /ng/ sound in sing; other words have more complex pronunciations.
What is a consonant digraph? Easy definition and blend comparison
A consonant digraph is a pair of consonant letters that jointly represents a single consonant phoneme in a particular word. The two written letters sh in fish normally represent the single sound /ʃ/, not a separate /s/ and /h/. The written letters ch in chair normally represent /tʃ/. Similarly, th in thin represents /θ/, while th in this represents /ð/ in many standard English varieties.
A consonant blend retains multiple consonant sounds: /s/ plus /l/ in slip, or /f/ plus /r/ in frog. A spelling can contain a blend and a digraph together: clock starts with cl, a two-consonant cluster, and ends with ck, two letters spelling /k/. This lesson covers several familiar digraphs, not every digraph in the history of English.
60 digraph words for kids with meanings and sentences
Six groups of ten show how common digraphs work at the beginning or end of words. Some examples include other reading patterns such as vowel teams or silent e; teach only those that fit the child’s existing phonics knowledge. The meaning and sentence column helps prevent decoding from becoming empty repetition.
1. Ten SH digraph words
The letters sh spell one consonant sound in the target words. Some begin with sh; other examples have sh near the end.
| Digraph | Word and simple meaning | Original sentence |
|---|---|---|
| sh | ship — a large boat | The ship entered the harbour. |
| sh | shop — a place for selling things | The shop closes at six. |
| sh | shed — a small storage building | The tools are in the shed. |
| sh | shell — a hard covering of some animals | We found a shell on the sand. |
| sh | shark — a type of fish | The shark swam past. |
| sh | shoe — an item worn on the foot | Tie your shoe before walking. |
| sh | sheep — a wool-bearing animal | The sheep grazed in the field. |
| sh | short — not long or tall | The short path leads home. |
| sh | shape — the form of something | Draw a round shape. |
| sh | shine — give or reflect light | The stars shine at night. |
Although shoe and sheep contain more advanced vowel spellings, the opening sh represents the same consonant sound. Do not insist that all ten words are equally appropriate for a beginning decoder.
2. Ten CH digraph words
In these examples the letters ch represent the /tʃ/ sound, commonly described as the sound at the start of chair.
| Digraph | Word and simple meaning | Original sentence |
|---|---|---|
| ch | chin — lower part of the face | She rested her chin on her hand. |
| ch | chip — a small piece broken off something | A chip of paint fell away. |
| ch | chop — cut into pieces | An adult will chop the vegetables. |
| ch | chat — talk informally | We had a chat about the story. |
| ch | chest — the front of the upper body or a storage box | The toy chest is closed. |
| ch | chair — a seat for one person | Please move the chair. |
| ch | cheese — a food made from milk | We added cheese to the sandwich. |
| ch | cherry — a small round fruit | She ate a cherry. |
| ch | church — a building used for Christian worship | The old church stands beside the park. |
| ch | child — a young person | The child opened the book. |
The digraph ch has exceptions: chorus commonly begins with /k/, and chef commonly begins with /ʃ/. Teach the regular examples first, then explain exceptions as children encounter real words.
3. Ten voiceless TH digraph words
The voiceless th sound /θ/ is often heard in thin, thumb and bath in many English varieties. The tongue and teeth help produce this sound, but pronunciation differs across accents.
| Digraph | Word and simple meaning | Original sentence |
|---|---|---|
| th | thin — not thick | The thin sheet bent easily. |
| th | thick — having a lot of depth or thickness | The thick book was heavy. |
| th | thorn — a sharp plant growth | Avoid the thorn on the stem. |
| th | thumb — the short thick finger on the hand | Raise your thumb. |
| th | thank — express gratitude | Thank you for helping. |
| th | three — the number 3 | Three birds landed. |
| th | throw — send an object through the air | Throw the soft ball gently. |
| th | thread — a thin strand used in sewing | The thread slipped from the needle. |
| th | thunder — the sound produced by lightning | We heard thunder outside. |
| th | thirsty — needing a drink | I felt thirsty after walking. |
In many English accents, voiceless th is produced with the tongue close to or between the teeth. Some valid regional accents use different consonant sounds in the same words. Teach standard spelling without treating the child’s home accent as defective.
4. Ten voiced TH digraph words
The voiced th sound /ð/ is common in short function words. It differs from the voiceless th in thin, although both use th spelling.
| Digraph | Word and simple meaning | Original sentence |
|---|---|---|
| th | this — points to one near or current thing | This is my notebook. |
| th | that — points to one further away or known | That is the correct shelf. |
| th | these — points to several near things | These are my pencils. |
| th | those — points to several farther things | Those shoes are wet. |
| th | them — refers to other people or things as objects | We invited them to play. |
| th | then — at the next time | We ate and then tidied up. |
| th | there — at or in that place | The bag is over there. |
| th | their — belonging to them | Their house is near the park. |
| th | though — introduces contrast | Though it rained, we went home safely. |
| th | weather — conditions of the atmosphere | The weather changed quickly. |
The meaning of there differs from their, even though the words are homophones in many accents. This is a good opportunity to connect a digraph lesson with meaning and grammar.
5. Ten final SH, CH and CK digraph words
Digraphs also occur after a vowel or at the end of a word. Listen for the single sound represented by the target two letters.
| Digraph | Word and simple meaning | Original sentence |
|---|---|---|
| sh | fish — a water-dwelling vertebrate with gills | A fish swam under the bridge. |
| sh | dish — a plate, bowl or prepared food | Wash the dish carefully. |
| sh | wish — a desire or hope | Make a wish before bed. |
| sh | brush — a tool with bristles | Use a brush to clean the mat. |
| sh | wash — clean with water or liquid | Wash your hands before lunch. |
| ch | much — a large amount | We do not have much time. |
| ch | lunch — a midday meal | We ate lunch at home. |
| ch | beach — shore beside water | The beach was quiet. |
| ch | rich — having a lot of money or resources | The story described a rich merchant. |
| ck | duck — a water bird | The duck swam across the pond. |
Brush begins with a br blend and ends with sh. One word can contain both patterns. In duck, ck spells a single /k/ sound, so it is not an ending consonant blend.
6. Ten WH, PH and NG digraph words
These spellings are common in questions, technology, animals and everyday conversation. Their pronunciations require careful attention to word and accent.
| Digraph | Word and simple meaning | Original sentence |
|---|---|---|
| wh | wheel — a circular part that rolls | The wheel turned. |
| wh | whale — a large marine mammal | A whale surfaced to breathe. |
| wh | white — a colour | The shirt is white. |
| wh | when — asks about time | When does the show start? |
| wh | where — asks about place | Where did you put the map? |
| ph | phone — a device for communication | Her phone rang. |
| ph | photo — a photograph or picture made by a camera | We took a photo. |
| ph | dolphin — a marine mammal | A dolphin swam near the boat. |
| ng | ring — a circular piece of jewellery or a ringing sound | I heard the bell ring. |
| ng | sing — make music with the voice | We sing a song together. |
The sound of wh varies by accent: many speakers merge it with /w/, while others distinguish /hw/ or /ʍ/. The written ng in sing usually represents /ŋ/, but in finger the pronunciation involves an additional /g/ in many accents. A single spelling does not guarantee one pronunciation in all words.
Why digraph knowledge matters beyond word matching
Two letters can represent one speech sound
A child looking at shop needs to know that sh represents one sound. Reading /s/ then /h/ separately will not give the usual pronunciation. By explicitly showing the pair and practising the /ʃ/ sound, a teacher helps the child connect two letters with one phoneme.
Move from sounds to meaningful words and sentences. “The shop is open” gives the printed word a place in communication. This makes decoding useful rather than a disconnected performance.
TH needs two spoken models, not one absolute rule
The letters th in thin commonly represent /θ/, while the same letters in this represent /ð/. One is voiceless and the other is voiced: the vocal folds vibrate for /ð/ in the common standard pronunciations.
Parents can model each word naturally without demanding that a child master technical phonetics. Use a pair such as thin/this to show that shared spelling can still require separate sounds.
Digraphs can coexist with blends and vowel teams
In brush, the first two letters br are a consonant blend. The last two sh make one sound. In sheep, sh is the consonant digraph and ee is a vowel team. Children must learn how sound-spelling units work together rather than forcing the whole word into one label.
When practising, underline the target letters and ask which sound each unit spells. If a vowel pattern is not yet taught, use an easier word instead of expecting a child to guess.
Pronunciation variation should be acknowledged rather than denied
The wh spelling in which and whale does not represent a universally identical sound across English. Some accents distinguish wh from w; many do not. The th sounds can also vary across English speech communities.
The word remains correctly spelled the same way in standard writing regardless of these accent differences. Keep listening and spelling practice grounded in natural speech and the child’s variety of English.
A digraph can be read correctly while its word meaning remains unknown
A child may decode dolphin using known sound-spelling links but still know little about the animal. Describe the dolphin as a marine mammal, show an accurate picture and explain how it breathes air. The vocabulary becomes connected to real-world knowledge.
This distinction matters for fluency and comprehension. The reader needs both an accurate representation of the printed word and a useful meaning they can apply in another sentence.
Seven short sessions to practise at home
Follow the sequence of sounds and spellings the child has learned; the six groups are reference material, not a requirement to learn every digraph together.
- Day 1 — Say and decode three sh words; explain their meanings.
- Day 2 — Practise three familiar ch words and compare ch with a two-sound consonant blend.
- Day 3 — Listen to a voiceless th word such as thin and a voiced th word such as this.
- Day 4 — Explore one final sh or ch example in a short meaningful sentence.
- Day 5 — Read a ck word such as duck and explain why the two letters spell one /k/ sound.
- Day 6 — Practise one wh and one ph word, using a natural pronunciation model.
- Day 7 — Read new sentences containing previously taught digraphs and explain the meaning of at least two target words.
Worked example: From seeing the word to understanding it
Write ship and slip on two cards. Ask the child what the first two letters in each word represent. In ship, sh spells one consonant sound. In slip, the letters s and l each keep their own sound.
Next, make the meaning clear. A ship is a large boat used for transport or other purposes. To slip is to slide or lose footing unexpectedly. Read “The ship moved slowly” and “Be careful not to slip.”
Finally return to a new pair: shop and stop. If the child notices the sh digraph versus the st blend, reads both words accurately and explains why the meanings differ, the knowledge is transferring.
Common mistakes and useful corrections
- Teaching sh as two separate consonant sounds in ship.
- Confusing all adjacent consonant letters with digraphs; fl and st are blends.
- Treating th as if it had only one pronunciation in every word.
- Claiming all ch words start with the same sound; choir, chorus and chef are exceptions.
- Ignoring valid differences in wh and th pronunciation across English accents.
- Using word cards as the only activity and never discussing the word’s meaning.
- Teaching an advanced word containing unknown vowel patterns before the child has learned those patterns.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common digraphs for kids?
Common early consonant digraphs include sh, ch, th, wh and ck. Other useful spellings include ph and ng. Phonics programmes introduce these in different sequences.
What is a digraph in simple words?
A digraph is two letters working together to represent one speech sound, such as sh in ship or ck in duck.
Is ch a digraph?
Yes, in chair it spells /tʃ/. It also spells other sounds in some English words, such as chorus and chef.
What is the difference between a digraph and a blend?
A digraph uses two letters for one sound; a blend has neighbouring consonant sounds that remain separately audible, such as bl in black.
Does th make two different sounds?
Yes, in common standard English pronunciation, thin starts with voiceless /θ/ while this starts with voiced /ð/.
Why are where and wear often confused?
They sound alike in many accents, but where asks about place and wear is a verb about clothing or use. Spellings and meaning still differ.
Is ph always pronounced f?
Not in every word and name. Many familiar examples, such as phone and dolphin, use /f/, but English contains variations and exceptions.
How should my child practise digraphs?
Use explicit sound–letter mapping, a small set of taught words, oral blending, spelling and meaningful sentences. Introduce patterns in a systematic sequence.
How to check whether learning is transferring
Give the child a familiar but unpractised word with a taught digraph, such as shell. Ask them to identify the sound-spelling pair and decode the whole word without guessing from the picture.
Then ask what the word refers to and use it in a new sentence. On another day compare a digraph and a blend word. Flexible recognition, spelling and meaning indicate stronger learning than simply reciting “sh, ch, th.”
Continue with related vocabulary and phonics guides
Start from the eduKateSG Vocabulary Hub or the Vocabulary Articles and Knowledge Hub. These related guides answer different sound, spelling and meaning questions; choose the lesson that fits the child’s next reading need.
- Syllables for kids
- Consonant blends for kids
- Long vowel words for kids
- CVC words for kids
- Word families for kids
- Sight words for kids
- Context clues for kids
Sources and further reading
Reading Rockets: Phonics in Practice — Blends and Digraphs · Reading Rockets: Consonant Digraph Definition · University of Florida Literacy Institute: Phonics Glossary
The examples and learning activities are original illustrations, not a school syllabus, statistical search-volume ranking or age-based test. Pronunciation varies across English accents and individual words may have exceptions to introductory spelling patterns.