Digraph Words for Kids
Digraph words are words containing two letters that combine to make one new sound: /ch/ as in chip, /sh/ as in ship, /th/ as in this, /wh/ as in what, /ph/ as in phone. Digraphs represent a key milestone in phonics because the sound cannot be predicted from individual letters. They are introduced in first grade after consonant blends.
LUCA's LUCADictionary contains 763,000+ grapheme-phoneme mappings, one of the most comprehensive phonics databases in K-12 education, built on U.S. Patent No. 12,394,332 B2 and validated by NSF SBIR funding that only 3% of applicants receive.
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Digraphs Word Lists
CH Digraph Words
CH words are words containing the digraph CH, where the letters C and H combine to make one sound /ch/, as in chat, chip, and chop. Unlike blends where each letter keeps its sound, digraphs create a new sound. CH is typically the first digraph taught in the Science of Reading sequence. LUCA's SoundScout detects the /ch/ phoneme precisely.
Examples: chip, chop, chat, rich, such
View ch digraph word list →SH Digraph Words
SH words are words containing the digraph SH, where the letters S and H combine to make one sound /sh/, as in ship, shop, and shell. SH can appear at the beginning or end of words (ship, fish). This digraph is introduced in first grade after consonant blends. LUCA's SoundScout identifies whether the /sh/ phoneme is produced correctly in all positions.
Examples: cash, fish, hush, shop, rush
View sh digraph word list →TH Digraph Words
TH words are words containing the digraph TH, which produces two different sounds: voiced /th/ as in this and that, and unvoiced /th/ as in thin and thick. TH is one of the trickiest digraphs because of this dual nature. LUCA's SoundScout distinguishes between voiced and unvoiced TH at the phoneme level, targeting the specific variant a child struggles with.
Examples: math, path, bath, with, moth
View th digraph word list →WH Digraph Words
WH words are words containing the digraph WH, where the letters W and H combine at the beginning of words like what, when, and where. WH appears in many question words that children use daily. This digraph is introduced alongside CH, SH, and TH in the Science of Reading sequence. LUCA's SoundScout listens for accurate WH production during read-aloud.
Examples: wham, whip, when, whiz, which
View wh digraph word list →PH Digraph Words
PH words are words containing the digraph PH, where the letters P and H combine to make the /f/ sound, as in phone, photo, and graph. PH is introduced later than other digraphs because it appears primarily in words of Greek origin. LUCA's SoundScout detects whether a child reads PH as /f/ or incorrectly sounds out P and H separately.
Examples: phone, graph, photo, sphere, trophy
View ph digraph word list →
Example Digraphs Words
Here are sample words across all digraphs patterns. Each word follows Science of Reading phonics scope and sequence. Browse a specific pattern above for the complete word list.
How LUCA Builds Digraphs Fluency
Word lists are a starting point. SoundScout's phoneme-level speech recognition listens to children read digraphs words aloud and identifies exactly which sounds cause difficulty. Then StoryGen generates personalized stories targeting those gaps, and JourneyBuilder sequences the practice in the right order.
This is the LUCALabs cycle: Listen, Analyze, Build. It turns static word lists into adaptive, personalized reading intervention. Every session produces data visible in EducatorHub for teachers and FamilyHub for parents.
How LUCA Turns Word Lists Into Real Progress
Every read-aloud session runs through the LUCALabs three-phase cycle so gaps for digraphs words are caught and closed.
Analyzes
Identifies exact gaps without a separate test. 763,000+ mappings reveal each reader's needs.
Builds
Generates personalized stories matched to your child's interests and skill level.
Proven Classroom Results
From LUCA's classroom evidence · Live results dashboard
Related Phonics Categories
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
CH digraph words contain the two-letter combination CH, which together makes the single sound /ch/ as heard at the start of 'chat' and 'chest.' Unlike a blend, neither C nor H keeps its individual sound in the CH digraph.
SH digraph words contain the two-letter combination SH, which makes the single /sh/ sound as in 'shed' and 'ship.' SH is one of the most frequently occurring digraphs in English and appears in initial, medial, and final positions.
TH digraph words contain the two-letter combination TH, which makes either the voiced /th/ sound (as in 'the' and 'that') or the voiceless /th/ sound (as in 'thick' and 'think'). TH appears in some of the most common words in the English language.
WH digraph words contain the two-letter combination WH, which in modern American English is typically pronounced /w/, the same as a plain W. Common WH words include almost all question words: what, when, where, which, why, who, and whose.
Turn digraphs word lists into real reading progress.
LUCA listens at the phoneme level. Every sound. Every session. Personalized stories your child actually wants to read.
U.S. Patent No. 12,394,332 B2 · NSF SBIR Grant Recipient · Carnegie Mellon Partnership
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Practice Reading with LUCA
LUCA is The Intelligent Reading Specialist: we listen at the phoneme level and build personalized stories aligned with the Science of Reading. Use these word lists for exposure, then move into guided practice on the Playground.
- Science of Reading alignment at LUCA
- Dyslexia support with structured literacy
- Phoneme-level listening with SoundScout
- Evidence and pilot outcomes
- Reading intervention for educators
- Compare LUCA to other programs
- LUCA vs Lexia Core5
- LUCA vs Amira Learning
- LUCA for families at home
- Try guided read-aloud practice on the LUCA Playground
- Browse all Kids Words categories
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