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Consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ph)

You learn to recognise and spell consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ph) that represent a single sound.

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How to write it

Two consonant letters join together to make a single new sound: sh, ch, th, wh, or ph.

A worked example

A great white ___ swam past the reef. (digraph sh)

  1. Listen for the /ʃ/ sound at the start: s and h join to make sh.
  2. Then add ark: s-h-a-r-k.
  3. You spell shark.
More examples

The pirates buried the treasure ___. (digraph ch)

  1. Listen for the /tʃ/ sound at the start: c and h make ch.
  2. Then add est: c-h-e-s-t.
  3. You spell chest.

Smile for the family ___! (digraph ph)

  1. The /f/ sound in photo comes from the Greek-origin digraph ph.
  2. Write ph at the start: photo.

Try it yourself

  1. digraph ph

    A playful ___ jumped out of the waves.

  2. digraph sh

    On a sunny day, you can see your ___.

Watch out

  • Writing f instead of ph in words of Greek origin like photo or dolphin.

    Remember that animal and technology words often take ph: photo, dolphin, phone, elephant.

Tips

  • sh, ch, th are the three core native English digraphs.
  • wh asks a question (who, what, where, when, why) or describes light colours/movement (white, whisper, wheel).

Why it works

In English, two letters frequently join to make one sound. Recognising digraphs prevents spelling sounds with single letters or inventing spellings.