Digraphs Worksheets

Digraphs are an essential phonics skill that help early readers recognize when two letters work together to make one sound (a single phoneme). In English, many common patterns—like ch, sh, th, ph, and wh—appear in everyday words and can’t be decoded by sounding letters out separately. Teaching students to identify and blend these letter teams makes reading and spelling more automatic and confident.

Worksheet shows 12 images including a shark, ship, chick, cherry, chips, and shoe. Below each picture are two circles labeled SH and CH. Students must color the circle that matches the beginning digraph sound. Designed for kindergarten and early phonics practice.

Sh or Ch? Free Digraph Worksheet for Kindergarten

Kindergarten

Digraphs

Image shows a free digraph worksheet with four columns labeled sh, ch, th, wh. Below the columns are ten pictures for students to cut out and sort under the correct digraph.

Free Digraph Worksheet: sh, ch, th, wh sort

1st GradeKindergarten

Digraphs

Digraphs are a key phonics skill because they show students that two letters can work together to make one sound. When kids understand this “letter team” idea, reading becomes smoother and spelling becomes more accurate. If a child tries to say each letter sound separately (like /s/ /h/ instead of /sh/), the word won’t sound right. That’s why many families and teachers look up what is a digraph and what are digraphs in phonics early in reading instruction.

A consonant digraph is two consonants that represent one sound. The most common consonant digraphs are ch, sh, th, ph, and wh. You can spot them in everyday words like chip, ship, thin, phone, and whale. These patterns show up often in early texts, so students benefit from practicing them until they recognize them quickly. Some students also need help telling the difference between digraphs and blends. In a blend, you can still hear both sounds (like bl in blue). In a digraph, the letters team up to make one sound (like sh in ship).

As students grow, they also meet letter teams that people search about constantly because they’re confusing: qu, ck, ng, tch, gh, kn, and wr. Many phonics programs treat qu as a team because it often represents /kw/ (as in quit). ck is commonly taught as a team for /k/, especially at the end of short vowel words like duck and sock. ng is often taught as a single sound team (as in sing), and tch is three letters but one sound (often called a trigraph) as in catch and match. Patterns like kn (knee) and wr (write) include a silent letter at the start, and gh can change depending on the word (night, laugh). The goal isn’t for kids to memorize big rules all at once — it’s to help them notice common patterns and practice them in real words.

When students practice digraphs, it helps to use a simple routine: find the letter team, say the team sound, then blend the rest of the word. For spelling, the routine is similar: say the word slowly, listen for the digraph sound, and write the two-letter team. With repeated practice, students stop guessing and start reading and spelling with more confidence. Use the digraph worksheets on this page for quick skill practice at school or at home — perfect for small groups, literacy centers, warm-ups, or extra review.

Learn More About Digraphs

What is a digraph?

A digraph is two letters that work together to make one sound (one phoneme).

Examples: ch in chip, sh in ship, th in thin, ph in phone, wh in whale.

 

What is a digraph in phonics?

In phonics, digraphs help readers understand that you don’t say each letter sound separately. You treat the two letters like a team sound when you read and spell.

What is a consonant digraph?

A consonant digraph is two consonants that make one new consonant sound.

Common consonant digraphs: ch, sh, th, ph, wh.

What is a vowel digraph?

A vowel digraph is two vowels written together that make one vowel sound (many teachers call these vowel teams).

Examples: ai in rain, ea in seat, oa in boat, ee in feet.

How are digraphs different from blends?

In a blend, you hear both sounds (like bl in blue).

In a digraph, the letters make one sound (like sh in ship).

Quick test:

  • If you can still hear both sounds → blend

  • If it becomes one sound → digraph

How do I find the digraph in a word?

Look for two letters side-by-side that make one sound. A simple routine:

  1. Read the word.

  2. Check for common pairs (ch, sh, th, ph, wh).

  3. Try reading again as a team sound.

Example: thin → th is the digraph.

Is “qu” a digraph?

Often, yes. In many phonics programs, qu is treated as a letter team because it commonly represents the sound /kw/ (like quit), and the u doesn’t act like a typical vowel sound.

 

Is “ck” a digraph?

Yes. ck is commonly taught as a digraph that represents the /k/ sound, especially at the end of short vowel words (like duck, sock, back). It helps students spell the /k/ sound correctly after a short vowel.

Is “ng” or “nk” a digraph?

ng is commonly taught as a digraph that represents the /ŋ/ sound (like sing).

nk is often taught as a team that includes that same sound plus /k/ in spelling patterns (like tank). Different programs label nk differently, but students benefit from learning it as a letter team they recognize quickly.

 

Is “tch” a digraph (or a trigraph)?

Technically, tch is three letters, so many programs call it a trigraph (a 3-letter team that makes one sound), as in catch and match. In classroom practice, it’s still taught as “one sound spelled with a team.”

Are “gh,” “kn,” and “wr” digraphs?

These show up in “is ___ a digraph?” searches a lot because they’re tricky:

  • kn in knee and wr in write include a silent letter pattern (students see two letters together but hear one main sound at the start).

  • gh can be tricky because it changes by word (silent in night, /f/ in laugh).

You can teach these as special letter patterns students learn to recognize by sight.

Sources: Guidance on teaching digraphs and early phonics skills is informed by literacy research and instructional frameworks from organizations such as the
National Reading Panel
and
Reading Rockets.