Consonant digraph phonics worksheets — 4 free printables

Four free printable phonics worksheets covering the four core English consonant digraphs: sh, ch, th, ng. Each is a single page focused on one digraph, with three activities — find-and-circle, read aloud, and tracing.

These are essential Phase 5 sounds. Every kindergartner and Year 1 reader needs to recognize these four patterns to read fluently.

What's a consonant digraph?

A consonant digraph is two consonants that together make one new sound — not the two letters' individual sounds. The sh in ship isn't /s/ + /h/, it's a completely new sound: /sh/.

This is different from a consonant blend (st, bl, fr), where both letters' sounds are heard. Stop still has /s/ and /t/. Ship doesn't have /s/ and /h/ — it has /sh/.

Kids often mix these up at first. The teaching key: digraphs need to be memorized as a new sound. Don't try to blend a digraph — it's not two sounds, it's one.

The 4 worksheets

sh phonics worksheet — as in ship

The /sh/ sound. A soft, sustained sound made by rounding the lips and breathing out. Like shushing a baby.

Words: ship, shop, shell, fish, wish, shut, cash, wash, shed.

Position: start, middle, or end of a word.

ch phonics worksheet — as in chip

The /ch/ sound. A sharp sound with a quick burst at the start — like a train chugging. Different from /sh/: /ch/ starts with a stop.

Words: chip, chop, chin, check, rich, much, lunch, beach.

Position: start, middle, or end of a word.

th phonics worksheet — as in this

The /th/ sound. Actually two sounds — voiced (this, that, them) and unvoiced (thin, math, path). Both are spelled th and both are taught as one digraph.

Words: this, that, thin, them, with, path, bath, math, moth.

Position: start, middle, or end of a word.

ng phonics worksheet — as in ring

The /ng/ sound. Made at the back of the mouth, almost always at the end of a word.

Words: ring, sing, long, king, song, wing, bang, hang, lung.

Position: end of a word or syllable.

What's on each worksheet

Every consonant digraph worksheet follows the same structure:

Activity 1 — Find and circle. Twelve words in a grid; the child circles the words containing the digraph.

Activity 2 — Read aloud. Five featured words with the digraph, each with a colorable dot beneath. The child reads each one and colors the dot.

Activity 3 — Trace. Six traces of the digraph across the page — first solid, the rest light gray. Dotted separators between cells.

Parent note. A small note explaining the specific digraph, often with a tactile teaching tip (where the tongue/lips go).

How to teach consonant digraphs

Consonant digraphs are typically taught in Year 1 / 1st Grade, after the alphabet's basic sounds are solid. A reasonable order:

1. sh first. It's the easiest — kids already know the shushing gesture.
2. ch second. Pair with sh to highlight the difference (one stops, one flows).
3. th third. Acknowledge that th has two slightly different sounds, but treat them as one digraph.
4. ng last. Comes at the end of words rather than the start, so it's an "end-of-word" exercise.

For each, the teaching technique is: show, say, find. Show the letters together. Say the sound. Find words that contain it. Repeat over a week. Each digraph usually takes 3-5 days to solidify.

When to use these worksheets

Use these worksheets if:

• Your child can read CVC words (cat, sun, big) confidently
• They've learned individual letter sounds
• They're meeting words with digraphs in their reading
• They're 5-7 years old

Skip these worksheets if:

• Your child is still learning individual letter sounds — start with the Magic 7 set
• Your child reads multi-syllable words confidently — move to long vowel work

Related resources

Part of the free phonics worksheets library — the Phase 5 collection.

Companion materials:

• Phonics blends worksheets — the consonant blends collection
• Long vowel phonics worksheets — vowel digraphs and trigraphs
• R-controlled vowel worksheets

Earlier-stage materials:

• Magic 7 Phonics Flashcards
• CVC Word Pack

For parents:

• How to teach phonics at home

Common questions

What's the difference between a blend and a digraph?

A blend is two letters where you hear both sounds (stop, frog, blue). A digraph is two letters that make one new sound (ship, chip, thin). Don't try to blend a digraph — it's not two sounds, it's one.

My child reads "ship" as "sip" — what's happening?

They're missing the digraph. They've correctly read /s/ /i/ /p/ but ignored the h. Help them see the sh as one unit: cover the rest of the word with your finger, point at sh, say /sh/. Then reveal the rest: sh-ip.

Are these worksheets really free?

Yes. Free for personal, classroom, and tutor use. Print as many copies as you like.

Why isn't "wh" included?

wh used to be a clear digraph (whale, when, where) but in most modern American and British speech, wh sounds identical to /w/. It's still taught in some programs but it's no longer phonetically distinct for most learners. We may add it later if there's demand.