Digraphs: sh, ch and th
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Skill: Reading and spelling words with sh, ch and th digraphs
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Free for personal and classroom use. Print at 100% / "Actual size" on US Letter paper.
About this worksheet
A digraph is two letters that work together to make one sound. The digraphs sh, ch, and th appear in many early reading words, from ship and chip to that and with. This first-grade worksheet gives fifteen short items. Each item shows a clue and a word with the digraph missing, such as ___ip for a boat. Children choose sh, ch, or th and write it on the line to complete the word. Five items use each digraph, and the clues keep the meaning clear so children do not have to guess from context alone.
Digraphs are tricky because children who have only practiced single letter sounds may try to say each letter separately. Hearing and writing the digraph as one unit is an important step toward fluent decoding.
How to use it: before starting, review the three sounds. Say "sh" like "shh, be quiet," "ch" like the start of "cheese," and "th" like the start of "thumb." Read each clue aloud, then stretch the beginning of the answer word. If your child writes the wrong digraph, say the word with their choice and let them hear the mismatch. Afterward, hunt for sh, ch, and th words in a favorite book.
The answer key shows the digraph and the full word for every item. This worksheet supports Common Core standards RF.1.3.a (know the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs) and RF.1.3.b (decode regularly spelled one-syllable words). It builds on our Short Vowel CVC Words worksheet by adding digraph beginnings.
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