What are Consonant Digraphs? Definition and Examples for 3rd Grade

📚 Quick Study Guide: Consonant Digraphs

• 🧐 What is a Consonant Digraph? A consonant digraph is when two consonant letters team up to create a single, new sound. Think of them as a dynamic duo!
• 🗣️ One Sound Rule: Even though you see two letters, you only hear ONE sound. For example, 'sh' in 'ship' makes one /sh/ sound, not /s/ and /h/ separately.
• 🚫 Digraphs vs. Blends: This is a big one! In a consonant blend (like 'bl' in 'blue' or 'st' in 'stop'), you can still hear *both* individual consonant sounds. With a digraph, the two letters completely change into a *new single sound*.
• 📝 Common Consonant Digraphs for 3rd Grade:
  • 📢 ch: as in 'chair' or 'catch'
  • 🤫 sh: as in 'ship' or 'wash'
  • 💡 th: as in 'think' (unvoiced) or 'that' (voiced)
  • 🌬️ wh: as in 'whale' or 'when'
  • 📞 ph: as in 'phone' or 'dolphin' (makes an /f/ sound)
  • 🧱 ck: as in 'duck' or 'kick' (makes a /k/ sound)
  • ⚔️ kn: as in 'know' or 'knee' (the 'k' is silent, makes an /n/ sound)
  • ✍️ wr: as in 'write' or 'wrap' (the 'w' is silent, makes an /r/ sound)
  • 👻 gh: as in 'ghost' (silent) or 'tough' (/f/ sound)
  • 🔔 ng: as in 'sing' or 'long'
• 🎯 Why are they important? Recognizing digraphs helps you read words faster and spell them correctly!

🧠 Practice Quiz: Test Your Digraph Skills!

• 1. Which pair of letters forms a consonant digraph?
  1. A. S-T (as in 'stop')
  2. B. B-L (as in 'blue')
  3. C. C-H (as in 'chair')
  4. D. F-L (as in 'flag')
• 2. In which word do the letters 'sh' make a single sound?
  1. A. Dishwasher
  2. B. Spaceship
  3. C. Mushroom
  4. D. All of the above
• 3. A consonant digraph is different from a consonant blend because:
  1. A. Digraphs are always at the beginning of a word.
  2. B. Blends make one new sound, while digraphs make two sounds.
  3. C. Digraphs make one new sound, while blends keep both sounds.
  4. D. Blends are only found in nouns.
• 4. Which word contains the 'th' digraph?
  1. A. Bathroom
  2. B. Lighthouse
  3. C. Arthropod
  4. D. Both A and C
• 5. The letters 'ph' in 'dolphin' make the same sound as which letter?
  1. A. D
  2. B. L
  3. C. F
  4. D. P
• 6. What is the consonant digraph in the word 'knight'?
  1. A. gh
  2. B. kn
  3. C. ig
  4. D. ht
• 7. Which word does NOT contain a consonant digraph?
  1. A. Whistle
  2. B. Block
  3. C. Thumb
  4. D. Catch