Consonant Digraph Words
A consonant digraph is two letters that spell one brand-new sound. In ship you do not hear an s and then an h - the sh is a single sound of its own. The four digraphs children meet first are ch (chip), sh (ship), th (thin, that), and wh (when).
This page uses the beginning-digraphs list from our Grade 1 spelling curriculum: chip, ship, that, when, what, then, chat, shop, thin, and whale. It is a real teaching list, printable as worksheets and ready for free online practice.
Digraphs are usually taught right after CVC words, and they matter enormously: th alone appears in many of the most frequent words in English (the, that, then, this).
The rule
A consonant digraph is two letters that spell one sound: ch as in chip, sh as in ship, th as in thin and that, wh as in when. The two letters work as a single unit and cannot be sounded out separately.
Consonant Digraph Words by grade, from our curriculum
These are the exact lists our K-6 spelling curriculum teaches. Every list links to free online practice and printable worksheets - no account needed.
Beginning Digraphs (ch, sh, th, wh)
Grade 1- chip
- ship
- that
- when
- what
- then
- chat
- shop
- thin
- whale
How the pattern works
The key contrast is digraph vs blend. In ship the s and h make one sound, /sh/. In slip the s and l each keep their own sound. Teaching the two side by side makes the difference audible.
TH is special: one spelling, two sounds. It is unvoiced in thin and voiced in that and then. Children can feel the difference by putting a hand on their throat - the voiced th vibrates.
WH sounds the same as plain w for most modern speakers (when and went start alike), which is why wh words need a little extra spelling attention: the ear alone will not supply the h.
Common mistakes to watch for
- Writing one letter for the digraph ("sip" for ship, "cat" for chat) - the child hears a single sound and picks the closest single letter.
- Writing w for wh ("wen" for when, "wat" for what) - expected, since the two sound identical for most speakers; wh words are learned as a spelling group.
- Mixing ch and sh ("ship" for chip) - the sounds are close, and some children still separate them in speech while learning.
- Writing f for the unvoiced th ("fin" for thin) - a very common speech pattern that leaks into spelling; targeted th practice fixes it.
Example sentences
- chip - One chip fell off the edge of the plate.
- ship - The ship sailed slowly out of the harbor.
- thin - She cut a thin slice of bread.
- then - We ate lunch, and then we went outside.
- whale - A gray whale surfaced near the boat.
Introduced in late kindergarten or early Grade 1, right after CVC words are secure. This list covers beginning digraphs; ending digraphs (much, wish, bath) follow soon after in the same pattern.
Frequently asked questions
What is a consonant digraph?
Two letters that together spell one sound: ch in chip, sh in ship, th in thin, wh in when. The pair works as a single spelling unit for a single phoneme.
What is the difference between a digraph and a blend?
In a digraph the two letters make one new sound (sh in ship). In a blend each letter keeps its own sound (sl in slip). Ship has three sounds; slip has four.
Why does th have two sounds?
The same spelling covers both the unvoiced sound in thin and the voiced sound in that. English never gave them separate spellings, so children learn to read both from context.
Do wh and w sound the same?
For most modern English speakers, yes: when and went begin with the same /w/ sound. A few dialects keep an older /hw/ sound. Because the ear cannot tell them apart, wh words are learned as a spelling family.
Turn these lists into practice in one click
Free spelling games, tests, and printables for every list above - built for K-6 classrooms and home practice. No signup, no cost.