Consonant digraphs are two consonant letters that together represent a single sound. In English, there are several consonant digraphs that are commonly used in words. In this blog post, we will explore what consonant digraphs are, how they are used, and provide examples of some common digraphs.
A digraph is a combination of two letters that represent a single sound. Many digraphs represent sounds that cannot be represented with a single letter in a particular language. For example, in English the sound at the beginning of the words cherry and chocolate is represented by the letters ch.
Other digraphs represent phonemes that can also be represented by a single letter. A digraph that has the same pronunciation as a single letter may be left over from an earlier period of the language when the digraph had a different pronunciation or may represent a sound that is made only in certain dialects, like the English wh.
Digraphs can be found in the beginning, middle, or end of words. Both consonants and vowels can create digraphs, but usually students are taught the consonant digraph sounds during the early stages of reading instruction. Digraphs are important to know because they can determine the pronunciation and meaning of a word.
Digraphs may consist of two different letters or two of the same letter, which are often called double letters. Some common consonant digraphs include:
ch: This digraph represents the sound /ch/ as in "chair" or "cheese".
sh: This digraph represents the sound /sh/ as in "ship" or "shoe".
th: This digraph can represent two sounds: /th/ as in "think" or /th/ as in "this".
ph: This digraph represents the sound /f/ as in "phone" or "graph".
gh: This digraph can represent two sounds: /f/ as in "enough" or /g/ as in "ghost".
kn: This digraph represents the sound /n/ as in "knight" or "knack".
wr: This digraph represents the sound /r/ as in "write" or "wrong".
wh: This digraph represents the sound /w/ as in "whale" or "white".
Usually, children are introduced to the consonant digraphs ch, sh, and th first, because these sounds occur more often in the English language. Knowing these common consonant digraphs can help children read and spell words more accurately. This helps them to decode words more quickly and to understand the meaning of the text they are reading. (Download a copy of this Free Consonant Digraph Mini-Poster.)
There are a variety of ways to help children learn consonant digraph sounds, including using simple flash cards, playing phonics games that incorporate words with consonant digraphs, and by watching educational videos. Below are some of the more engaging consonant digraph videos I have come across:
(Download a copy of Free Phonics Flash Cards 2: Master Digraphs and Trigraphs for Early Reading.)
In conclusion, consonant digraphs are two consonant letters that represent a single sound. There are several common digraphs in English, including ch, sh, th, and wh. These digraphs are important to know because they can change the pronunciation and meaning of a word. By understanding and recognizing these digraphs, children can become more confident and proficient readers and spellers.
Follow this link to explore the Foundational Phonics Level 2 Curriculum for additional resources to teach consonant digraphs and trigraphs.
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