Consonant Digraphs
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Consonant Digraphs |
Definition: Consonant digraphs are made up of two consonants working together that make one unique sound. The consonant digraphs you will be studying are: gh, ph, sh, th, and ch. Notice that sometimes consonant digraphs begin the word; however, a consonant digraph can be located anywhere within the word.
Sounds of consonant digraphs GH and PH:
When these two consonant digraphs can be heard (that is not silent consonants), they have the /f/ sound.
Examples of gh digraphs: enough, tough, rough
Examples of ph digraphs: phone, Phoenix, phrase
Sound of the consonant digraph SH:
This digraph sounds very much like asking someone to be quiet, as in "shhhhhhhhhhh!"
Examples of sh digraphs: share, shave, should
Sound of the consonant digraph TH:
The th digraph is difficult to describe as it has two forms, voiced and voiceless. The amount of movement of the vocal cords determines which form of th.
Example: A good example of a voiced th is the word thee.
Example: An unvoiced example is the word thin.
You may or may not be able to feel or hear the differences between these two words.
Practice the th digraph by clicking the links below.
Sound of the consonant digraph CH:
The ch digraph has three distinct sounds.
Example: The most common is what is called the "new" sound of ch. This sound can be heard in the word chicken.
Example: The next most common sound of ch is the sh sound. This sound can be heard in the word chef.
Example: The last sound of ch is the least common and is the sound of k. This sound can be heard in the word chemistry.
Click here for Audio practice: sh, ch, j, y
Practice consonant digraphs by clicking on the links below.
Consonant Digraph Practice
Directions: Read the poem below and then complete the following.
Paragraphs 1 and 2 contain many th digraphs. Find the words that contain sh and ch digraphs. Look up the word/s that contains the ch digraph in your dictionary. What is the sound of the ch digraph?
Paragraph 3 and 4 contain two ch digraphs. Look the words up in your dictionary. What is the sound of the ch digraph?
Paragraphs 5 and 6 contain several words that have the gh consonant combinations. Are these words examples of the gh digraph?
Annabel Lee
By Edgar Allan Poe
Paragraph 1
It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea
That a maiden there lived whom you may know.
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
Paragraph 2
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love --
I and my ANNABEL LEE --
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.
Paragraph 3
And this is the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful ANNABEL LEE;
So that her highborn kinsmen came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.
Paragraph 4
The angels, not half so happy in heaven, Paragraph 5 But our love it was stronger by far than the love Paragraph 6
Went envying her and me --
Yes! -- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
chilling and killing my ANNABEL LEE.
Of those who were older than we --
Of many far wiser than we --
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful ANNABEL LEE.
For the moon never beams, without
bringing me dreams
Of the Beautiful ANNABEL LEE:
And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
Of the Beautiful ANNABEL LEE:
And so, all the night tide, I lay down by the side
Of my darling -- my darling -- my life and my bride,
In her sepulchre there by the sea --
In her tomb by the sounding sea.