Digraphs — SH, CH, TH, WH

English is tricky. Sometimes TWO letters together make just ONE sound. That two-letter-one-sound combo is called a DIGRAPH ("di" means two, "graph" means written). The 4 most common digraphs are SH, CH, TH, WH. Master them and you can read hundreds more words.

SH makes the "SHHH" sound — like when you are telling someone to be quiet.\n\nSH words:\n- **SH**ip\n- **SH**ark\n- **SH**ell\n- **SH**oes\n- Fi**SH**\n- Wa**SH**\n- Bru**SH**\n\nPut your finger to your lips and say "SH" — then say the words.

CH sounds like "chuh" — the start of the word "chair."\n\nCH words:\n- **CH**air\n- **CH**in\n- **CH**eese\n- **CH**icken\n- Bea**CH**\n- Mu**CH**\n- Tea**CH**\n\nFeel the air PUFF from your mouth when you say "CH."

TH is special — it makes TWO different sounds:\n\n**TH (soft, vibrating) — "THHH"**\n- **TH**is, **TH**at, **TH**e, **TH**ey, **TH**em\n- Mo**TH**er, fa**TH**er, bro**TH**er\n\n**TH (hard, blowy) — "THH"**\n- **TH**ink, **TH**umb, **TH**ree, **TH**ree, **TH**ick\n- Ma**TH**, too**TH**, ba**TH**\n\nTip: put your tongue between your teeth. If you feel vibration, it's "this." If it's just air, it's "think."

WH usually sounds like "W" — no separate H sound in most American English:\n\n- **WH**at\n- **WH**en\n- **WH**ere\n- **WH**y\n- **WH**ite\n- **WH**ale\n\nQuestion words start with WH! That's an easy way to remember them.

WITHOUT knowing digraphs, you might try to say "s-h-i-p" as 4 separate sounds — that would sound weird and wrong!\n\nDigraphs help you:\n- Read hundreds of common words\n- Spell them correctly\n- Sound fluent\n\nThe 4 main digraphs (SH, CH, TH, WH) appear in THOUSANDS of everyday words.