📚 What are Digraphs?

Digraph: A digraph is when two letters come together to make one sound. The two letters work as a team to create a single phoneme (sound unit).

Common Digraph Examples:

• sh - as in ship, fish, wash
• ch - as in chair, lunch, beach
• th - as in think, bath, three
• ph - as in phone, graph, elephant
• ck - as in back, duck, trick
• ng - as in ring, song, bring
• wh - as in when, what, where

Important Note: In digraphs, you don't hear the individual letter sounds - instead, the two letters create a completely new sound together.

🔤 What are Trigraphs?

Trigraph: A trigraph is when three letters come together to make one sound. Like digraphs, all three letters work together to create a single phoneme.

Common Trigraph Examples:

• tch - as in catch, watch, kitchen
• igh - as in night, light, bright
• ear - as in hear, near, clear
• air - as in hair, fair, chair
• ore - as in more, store, before
• ure - as in sure, pure, picture

Special Note: The 'tch' trigraph usually comes after short vowel sounds, while 'ch' typically follows long vowel sounds or consonants.

🎯 Key Differences and Tips

How to Remember:

• Di- means "two" → Digraphs have 2 letters
• Tri- means "three" → Trigraphs have 3 letters
• Both make just ONE sound when read together

Why are Digraphs and Trigraphs Important?

• They help us spell and read words correctly
• They explain why some letter combinations don't follow basic phonics rules
• They are essential building blocks for reading fluency
• They appear in many common English words

Reading Tip: When you see these letter combinations, remember to read them as one sound unit, not as separate letters. This will help you decode words more accurately and read more smoothly.