Consonant Digraphs 'th' & 'wh'

Free sample questions, a clear explanation, and 5 practice skills with an AI tutor that guides without giving the answer away.

Team-Up Letters: Meet 'th' and 'wh'!

Hi, Super Star Reader! Did you know that letters can be best friends? Just like when you and a friend team up to build an amazing tower, letters can team up to make a brand new sound! These special teams are called digraphs (say: DYE-grafs).

Today, we're going to meet two super letter teams: 't' + 'h' and 'w' + 'h'. When they hold hands, they stop making their own sounds and make a totally new one. How cool is that?

The Mighty 'th' Team

The 'th' team is so special, it can make TWO different sounds!

Sometimes it makes a quiet, whispery sound. Try it! Gently put your tongue between your teeth and blow air. It sounds like this: /th/. You can hear this quiet sound in words like thumb, think, and bath.
Other times, it makes a buzzy, tickly sound, like a little bumblebee! Put your tongue in the same spot, but this time, turn on your voice box. It sounds like this: /th/. You can hear this buzzy sound in words like this, that, and the.

The Wonderful 'wh' Team

When 'w' and 'h' team up, they make a windy sound, like you're blowing out birthday candles! Pucker your lips and let out a puff of air: /wh/. This sound loves to ask questions!

You can hear this windy sound in words like whale, wheel, what, and when.

Key Takeaway!

A digraph is two letters that team up to make one new sound!
th = a quiet whisper sound OR a buzzy sound.
wh = a windy, "blowing-out-the-candles" sound.

Your Super Sentence Challenge!

Now it's your turn to be a word wizard! Can you create a sentence using one 'th' word and one 'wh' word? Try reading this one out loud:

"When did that thumb get wet?"

Great job! When you read it, did you feel the windy /wh/ sound and the buzzy /th/ sound? You are a digraph detective! Keep listening for these super letter teams in all the books you read.

Sample questions

1. Listen to these words. Which word has the 'th' sound like in 'thumb'?

○ fun

○ sun

✓ thin

○ van

Answer: thin — Listen closely to the beginning sound of each word.

2. Which word has the 'th' sound like in 'mother'?

○ ladder

○ father

○ water

✓ brother

Answer: brother — Say each word aloud and listen for the 'th' sound in the middle.

3. Listen carefully. Which word has the 'th' sound?

○ ship

✓ bath

○ chop

○ clap

Answer: bath — Pay attention to the sound at the end of each word.

Skills in this topic

Identify the 'th' sound (voiced and unvoiced) in spoken words.
Associate the 'th' sound with the digraph 'th'.
Identify the 'wh' sound in spoken words.
Associate the 'wh' sound with the digraph 'wh'.
Create a sentence using a word with 'th' and a word with 'wh', then read it aloud and explain the sounds each digraph represents.

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