What's the Difference?
Digraph
2 letters = 1 NEW sound
Two letters that make one completely new sound. You cannot hear the individual letters anymore.
Makes the sound in "ship" 🚢
✓ You DON'T hear /s/ or /h/ separately!
Blend
2+ letters = sounds blended together
Two or more letters where you can hear ALL the sounds blended smoothly together.
Makes the sounds in "stop" 🛑
✓ You CAN hear both /s/ AND /t/!
Easy test: Can you hear both sounds? Yes = Blend • No = Digraph
Consonant Digraphs
Two letters that make ONE new sound
💡 Teaching Tip: Start with "sh" and "ch" — they're in many common words children already know (ship, shop, chip, chin). Then add "th" which has TWO sounds (soft in "thin", buzzy in "this").
Consonant Blends
Two or more letters where you hear ALL the sounds
💡 Teaching Tip: Start with L-blends and S-blends — they're easiest to hear. Practice "stretching" the blend: "sss-top", "bbb-lue". Then move to R-blends which are slightly harder.
L L-Blends (bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl)
📘 blue
💨 blow
⏰ clock
👏 clap
🪰 fly
🌊 flow
🥛 glass
😄 glad
➕ plus
🔌 plug
😴 sleep
🐌 slow
R R-Blends (br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr)
🌉 bridge
🧹 broom
🥨 crunch
😢 cry
💧 drip
🚗 drive
🖼️ frame
🍟 fries
😁 grin
🌱 grow
🖨️ print
🙏 pray
🌲 tree
🪤 trap
S S-Blends (sk, sm, sn, sp, st, sw)
🛞 skid
⛷️ ski
💥 smack
😊 smile
🐍 snake
❄️ snow
🔄 spin
🥄 spoon
👣 step
⭐ star
🧹 sweep
🍬 sweet
⏹ Ending Blends (nd, nt, mp, lt, nk)
✋ hand
🔚 end
⛺ tent
🌱 plant
💡 lamp
🦘 jump
🧂 salt
⚡ bolt
😉 wink
🤔 think
3 3-Letter Blends (str, scr, spl, spr, squ) Advanced
💪 strong
🛤️ street
😱 scream
📺 screen
🔀 split
✂️ splice
💨 spray
🏃 sprint
🤏 squish
◻️ square
Practice with Decodable Stories
The best way to master digraphs and blends is to read them in real stories. ReadingCraft's decodable books use only the sounds your child has learned — no surprises!
- 📚 Decodable stories — controlled vocabulary
- 🔊 Audio for every blend — hear the sounds
- 🎮 Interactive games — make practice fun
Free decodable stories inside!
Frequently Asked Questions
A digraph is two letters that make ONE new sound — you cannot hear the individual letters (sh, ch, th). A blend is two or more letters where you can hear ALL the sounds blended together (bl, cr, st). In "ship", the 'sh' is a digraph. In "stop", the 'st' is a blend where you hear both /s/ and /t/.
The most common consonant digraphs are: ch (chip), sh (ship), th (thin and this — two sounds!), wh (whale), ck (duck), ng (ring), and ph (phone). These should be taught after children master single letter sounds.
Start with L-blends (bl, cl, fl) and S-blends (st, sp, sn) as they're easiest to hear. Then move to R-blends (br, cr, dr) which are slightly harder. Ending blends (nd, mp, nk) come next. Finally, teach 3-letter blends (str, spl, scr) which are most advanced.
Children typically learn digraphs and blends in UKG to Class 1 (ages 5-7), after they've mastered single letter sounds and can read CVC words. Most CBSE and ICSE schools introduce digraphs like 'sh' and 'ch' in UKG, with blends following in Class 1.
The digraph 'th' makes two different sounds: the 'soft' or 'unvoiced' th in words like 'thin', 'three', 'bath' (your vocal cords don't vibrate), and the 'buzzy' or 'voiced' th in words like 'this', 'the', 'mother' (your vocal cords vibrate). Both use the same spelling but different pronunciations.
Ready to Master Digraphs & Blends?
Download ReadingCraft for interactive practice, audio for every sound, and free decodable stories that use digraphs and blends in context!
✓ Free decodable stories • ✓ Audio for all sounds • ✓ No credit card required