A digraph is two letters that make one sound. Sh in ship. Ch in chip. Th in thin.
Digraph Two letters that together make a single sound.
Step 1: Let's Learn
Read it, or press Listen and follow the words.
Both original sounds are gone
Say sh. There is no /s/ in it and no /h/ in it. The pair made something new that neither letter owns.
A test you can run yourself
Say the pair. Ask whether you can still hear the first letter. Yes means a blend. No means a digraph.
Why the test beats memorizing
You will meet pairs nobody taught you. A test works on those. A list does not.
So treat a digraph as one thing
When you sound out ship, do not try /s/ /h/ /i/ /p/. It is /sh/ /i/ /p/. Three sounds, not four.
Th has two versions
Thin and this both start th, but they are slightly different sounds. Say both and feel your throat.
Ck is an odd one
Two letters, one sound — so a digraph. But that sound is /k/, which is what c says anyway. The k adds nothing.
Writing digraphs
When you hear /sh/, you write two letters for one sound. That feels wrong at first and it is correct.
Step 2: Try It Yourself
Now try the second half. Can you hear the first letter?
sh
You hear: /sh/
A digraph — one new sound instead
the soundship
| Letters | s and h — two letters |
|---|---|
| Sounds you hear | 1: /sh/ |
| Can you hear s’s own sound? | No |
| What is missing | neither /s/ nor /h/ |
| So it is | A digraph — two letters, one sound |
This is the one to notice. In sh you hear /sh/ — and that is neither /s/ nor /h/. The two letters gave up their own sounds and made a different one instead. So you cannot sound ship out letter by letter; you have to treat sh as a single thing that makes one sound.
Step 3: Watch an Example
One step at a time.
Running the Test on sh
Ana meets sh for the first time.
- Step 1
She says sh out loud.
Sounding Out ship
Sam reads ship.
- Step 1
He nearly says /s/ /h/ /i/ /p/, four sounds.
Blend or Digraph
Ana compares st and sh.
- Step 1
In st she can hear /s/ and then /t/. Blend.
Step 4: Your Turn
Practice makes it stick.
The Word chip
Problem 1 of 2
How many sounds are in chip?
st and sh
Problem 2 of 2
Both start with s. Why is one a blend and the other a digraph?
Blend or Digraph
1 of 5
What is a digraph?
2 of 5
Which is a digraph?
3 of 5
How do you test a new pair of letters?
4 of 5
How many sounds in the word thin?
5 of 5
Why is ck unusual?
Step 5: Quick Check
Show what you know.
Question 1 of 1
You meet a new pair of letters. How do you decide what it is?
What You Learned
- A digraph is two letters making one sound.
- In sh you hear neither /s/ nor /h/ — the sound is new.
- Test any pair by asking if the first letter’s sound survives.
- Sound out a digraph as one unit, not two letters.