How it works
This printable digraph word search opens on words with ch, sh, th, wh and ph, such as Chipmunk, Shadow, Feather, Whisker and Dolphin. Each digraph has its own list, and three more lists hold l, r and s blends.
Read the full guide
One list for each digraph
Under Start from a list, Digraph CH has Cheek, Chimney and Torch, Digraph TH has Thimble and Marathon, Digraph WH has Wharf and Whirligig, and Digraph PH has Gopher, Hyphen and Xylophone. Pick Digraph SH for an sh free printable word search: Shark, Shovel, Mushroom and Cushion are in it.
Blends in three lists
L Blends, R Blends and S Blends each make a free printable word search: blends such as bl in Blimp, cr in Crumb and sn in Snooze keep both letter sounds, which is how a blend differs from a digraph.
- Short Digraph and Blend Words holds words of five letters or fewer, such as Chew, Thaw, Why and Blimp.
- The sheet prints a task: circle the digraph or blend in three words, then write one more word for each.
Questions and answers
What is a digraph?
Two letters that spell one sound, such as sh in sheep or ph in dolphin. A blend is different: in bl or st you can still hear both letters. This page keeps the two in separate lists.
Which digraphs are in the word search?
Five consonant digraphs, each with its own list: ch as in chair, sh as in sheep, th as in thumb and feather, wh as in whale, and ph as in dolphin.
Why are there no words like chef, school or who?
In chef the ch says sh, in school it says k, and in who the wh says h. Those words would muddle a first lesson, so each list keeps to its digraph's usual sound, and th has two: thumb and feather.
Is the digraph always at the start of the word?
No. Most words start with it, but some end with it or hold it in the middle: Peach, Lunch, Leash, Mouth, Earth, Feather, Dolphin and Elephant. That gives pupils three places to listen for the sound.