What are Digraphs?
A digraph is a combination of two letters that make a single sound. These shouldn’t be confused with consonant blends, where each letter makes a distinct sound rather than combining to make one sound.
Consonant Digraphs:
Consonant digraphs are groups of two consonants that make a single sound.
Examples:
sh |
she | wish | ship |
ch | chair | chat | catch |
ng | sing | ring | king |
ck | tick | pluck | clock |
kn | know | knock | known |
ph | phone | phonics | graph |
wr | wrench | wreck | write |
th | think | throw | through |
wh | when | where |
who |
Examples:
sh |
she, wish, ship |
ch | chair, chat, catch |
ng | sing, ring, king |
ck | tick, pluck, clock |
kn | know, knock, known |
ph | phone, phonics, graph |
wr | wrench, wreck,write |
th | think, throw, through |
wh | when, where,who |
Vowel Digraphs
These are groups of two letters that make one sound, where at least one is a vowel. Vowel digraphs are typically placed in the middle of words, although this isn’t always the case.
Examples:
ow |
know | snow | blow |
ui | fruit | bruise | juice |
oe | toe | goes | doe |
oa | boat | float | goat |
ea | thread | lead | bread |
ea | read | beach | team |
ie | pie | lie | tie |
ie | field | chief | brief |
ue | glue | fuel | blue |
oo | wood | flood | book |
ey | they | prey | grey |
ai | rain | pain |
gain |
Examples:
ow |
know, snow, blow |
ui | fruit, bruise, juice |
oe | toe, goes, doe |
oa | boat, float, goat |
ea | thread, lead, bread |
ea | read, beach, team |
ie | pie, lie, tie |
ie | field, chief, brief |
ue | glue, fuel, blue |
oo | wood, flood, book |
ey | they, prey, grey |
ai | rain, pain, gain |
Trigraphs and Quadgraphs:
- Trigraph is a single sound that is made with three letters such as
-igh sigh high fight right might -ore bore tore before lore more -ear fear smear gear tear near -air fair lair chair pair hair - Quadgraphs is a single sound that is made with four letters such as
-ough cough bough through -augh laugh naught caught -eight eight height weight
Trigraphs and Quadgraphs:
- Trigraph is a single sound that is made with three letters such as
-igh sigh, high, fight, right, might -ore bore,tore, before, lore, more -ear fear, smear, gear, tear, near -air fair, lair, chair, pair, hair - Quadgraphs is a single sound that is made with four letters such as
-ough cough, bough, through -augh laugh, naught, caught -eight eight, height, weight