Digraph Words

Digraph Words for Kids | SH, CH, TH, WH Sounds | Grade 2 | English1to5.com
⭐ Grade 2 • Word Building • Topic 3 of 5 👫

Digraph Words

SH, CH, TH, WH Sounds

Two letters that team up to make ONE new sound!

📖 Let’s Learn Digraph Words

A digraph is when two letters come together to make ONE sound (unlike a blend where you hear both sounds). The most common digraphs in English are sh, ch, th, wh.

For example, in “ship”, the “s” and “h” together make one “sh” sound — you don’t hear them separately! Digraphs can appear at the start of a word (ship, chair) or at the end of a word (fish, lunch, bath).

💡 The Rule

In a digraph, two letters = one sound. You don’t hear each letter separately — you hear a new sound. Think of it like two friends talking in one voice!

🎯 Key Concept

🔗 Blend: swim (you hear s AND w)
👫 Digraph: ship (you hear only “sh” — one sound!)

📋 The 4 Main Digraphs

🔤 Starting Digraphs

SH (ship, shop)CH (chair, chin)TH (this, thin)WH (what, when)

🔚 Ending Digraphs

-SH (fish, wash)-CH (lunch, bench)-TH (bath, math)-CK (duck, sick)

👫 Word Groups

Words organized by type — read them out loud!

🤫

SH Words

ship The ship sails in the sea.
shop We went to the shop.
fish The fish swims in the pond.
dish Wash the dish.
shell I found a shell at the beach.
wash Wash your hands.
🪑

CH Words

chair Sit on the chair.
cheese I like cheese.
chin My chin is below my mouth.
lunch We eat lunch at school.
chicken Chicken is tasty.
bench Sit on the park bench.
👄

TH Words

this This is my book.
that That is a tree.
three I have three pencils.
bath Take a bath.
thin The stick is thin.
math Math is fun.

WH Words

when When is your birthday?
what What is your name?
where Where do you live?
why Why are you sad?
whale A whale is huge.
wheel A car has 4 wheels.

📢 Read & Spell Practice

Read each word and notice the digraph sound!

shipchairthiswhenfishlunchbathwhale

✏️ Fill in the Blank

Choose the right word for each sentence!

1. Sit on the ___ please.

2. The ___ swims in the pond.

3. ___ is your name?

4. I take a ___ every day.

🎯 Word Sort Game

Which digraph is in each word? SH, CH, TH, or WH?

Click any word to check!

📝 Sentence Reading Practice

Read each sentence and find the digraphs!

1

This is my new chair.

2

What are you eating for lunch?

3

The fish swims near the ship.

4

When will you take a bath?

5

I have three shells from the beach.

🧠

Memory Trick

Remember: Think of a digraph as two best friends — they go everywhere together and always speak as one voice!

🎮 Digraph Words Quiz

Test what you’ve learned!

What is a digraph?

Which word starts with a “sh” sound?

Which word has a “ch” sound?

Which is NOT a digraph?

Complete: ___ is your name?

Which word has a “th” sound?

Which word ends with “sh”?

How many sounds in “ship”?

🎉 Quiz Complete!

0/8

🌟

Fun Facts

The “th” sound is one of the trickiest sounds in English! “th” makes two different sounds: a soft one in “this” and a harder one in “three”.

Most question words in English start with “wh”: what, when, where, why, who, which, how (sort of!).

🧠 Tips for Parents

🗣️

Mouth Practice

Have your child feel their mouth when saying “sh” vs “ch” vs “th”. Each is different!

🔍

Digraph Detective

While reading, play “spot the digraph” — point out sh, ch, th, wh whenever you see them.

📚

Book Hunt

Pick a picture book and count how many words with digraphs you can find on each page.

Scroll to Top