Digraphs: When Two Letters Work Together to Make One Sound

If your child has been working on CVC words and blends, you may start to notice something interesting when you introduce digraphs. Suddenly, two letters are sitting together, but they are making just one sound.

That can feel a little confusing at first.

After all, we have spent so much time teaching children to look at each letter, say its sound, and put those sounds together. Now we are asking them to look at two letters and treat them as one sound.

That is where a little explicit instruction and plenty of practice can make a big difference.

So, what is a digraph?

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

Some of the most common digraphs children learn are:

sh as in ship
ch as in chip
th as in thin and this
wh as in when
ph as in phone

One of the most important things to point out to children is that a digraph is different from a blend.

With a blend, you can hear each individual sound.

For example:

stop
/s/ /t/ /o/ /p/

You can hear both the /s/ and /t/.

With a digraph, the two letters work together to make one sound.

ship
/sh/ /i/ /p/

The s and h are working together to make the /sh/ sound.

That little distinction is important because children need to know why we are treating those letters differently.

Make it multisensory

As always, I love taking phonics off the worksheet and putting it into the child's hands.

Here are a few simple ways to practice digraphs:

👂 Listen for the sound

Say a word and have your child listen for the digraph.

"Do you hear /sh/ in fish?"

"Do you hear /ch/ in chop?"

This helps them connect the sound they hear to the letters they will eventually see.

👀 Look for the letters

Write a few words and have your child find and circle the digraph.

ship
chin
fish
thin

You can even have them highlight the two letters that are working together.

✋ Build the word

Use letter tiles, magnetic letters, or even pieces of paper with letters written on them.

Have your child build ship.

Then ask:

"Which two letters are working together to make one sound?"

This gives them a visual and hands-on connection between the letters and the sound.

🗣️ Say it, tap it, read it

Have your child say the word, identify the digraph, and then blend the sounds together.

For example:

sh - i - p → ship

The goal isn't simply to memorize that "SH says /sh/." We want children to recognize the pattern when they see it in words and use it while reading and spelling.

And remember, go at their pace.

Phonics builds on itself.

If your child is struggling with digraphs, that doesn't mean they aren't capable of learning them. It may simply mean they need more time with the skills that came before.

Go back to CVC words. Practice some blends. Review individual letter sounds. Then come back to digraphs.

Scaffolding isn't going backward. It's giving your child the support they need to move forward.

And sometimes a five-minute successful practice session is much more productive than twenty minutes of frustration.

E3 Takeaway

When children understand why two letters are working together, reading becomes more than memorizing rules. They begin to recognize patterns, connect sounds to letters, and build the confidence they need to tackle new words.

Keep it short. Keep it multisensory. Keep practicing.

And most importantly, meet your child where they are.

From the Teacher's Desk,
Tonya
E3 Learners
Engage. Empower. Educate.