This is meant as a lookup reference, not a sequence to teach in order — when a specific pattern comes up in a child's reading and you want a quick refresher on the rule and some example words, this is the page to bookmark.
Two letters combining to make one new sound, different from either letter alone:
| Digraph | Sound | Example Words |
|---|---|---|
| sh | /sh/ | ship, fish, shell |
| ch | /ch/ | chip, lunch, chair |
| th | /th/ (voiced or unvoiced) | this, thin, bath |
| wh | /w/ (or /hw/ in some accents) | whale, when, wheel |
| ph | /f/ | phone, dolphin, graph |
Two or more letters where each individual sound is still heard, just blended quickly together:
| Blend | Example Words |
|---|---|
| bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl | black, clap, flag, glad, plan, slip |
| br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr | brush, crab, drum, frog, grape, prize, trip |
| sm, sn, sp, st, sw | smile, snail, spin, stop, swim |
If you can still hear both individual sounds when saying the word slowly, it's a blend (b-l-ack). If the two letters make one totally new sound, it's a digraph (sh doesn't sound like "s" plus "h").
A silent e at the end of a word often makes the preceding vowel say its long name instead of its short sound:
| Short Vowel Word | With Silent E |
|---|---|
| cap | cape |
| kit | kite |
| hop | hope |
| cut | cute |
Two vowels together that combine to make one sound, often (but not always) following the "when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking" pattern:
| Vowel Team | Sound | Example Words |
|---|---|---|
| ai / ay | long a | rain, play |
| ee / ea | long e | tree, eat |
| oa / ow | long o | boat, snow |
| oo | varies (moon vs. book) | moon, book |
When a vowel is followed by "r," the r changes the vowel's usual sound in a fairly predictable way:
| Pattern | Example Words |
|---|---|
| ar | car, star, farm |
| er / ir / ur | her, bird, fur (all similar sound) |
| or | for, corn, storm |
A digraph makes one new sound from two letters (sh). A blend keeps both sounds audible, just said quickly together (bl).
A silent e at a word's end often makes the preceding vowel say its long name — "cap" becomes "cape." Like most phonics rules, it has exceptions.
When a vowel is followed by r, the r changes the vowel's usual sound in a predictable way, as in car, her, bird, for, and fur.