Consonant sounds & digraphs worksheets for Grade 1

11 free printable worksheets with answer keys · Grade 1 unit 2: Digraphs & blends

Consonant sounds and digraphs cover the single consonants, the two-letter sounds (sh, ch, th, wh, ck) and blends (bl, st, tr). Single letters are Kindergarten work; digraphs and blends run through Grade 1. The distinction matters: a digraph is one sound written with two letters, a blend is two sounds kept together. Children who treat sh as s plus h will misread ship, and children who write blends with one letter (sop for stop) have not yet heard both sounds. Expect th to be the slowest — it has a voiced and an unvoiced form. These worksheets match sounds to pictures and complete words with the missing digraph or blend; the games test hearing before spelling.

By the end of Grade 1: Decodes and spells closed/open/VCe 1–2 syllable words.

Worksheets

Consonant Blends Identify & sort beginning blends (bl, cl, dr, fl, tr…) RF.1.3c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Consonant Digraphs — Introduction Meet the five consonant digraphs (ch, sh, th, wh, ph) and practise spotting them in common words. RF.1.3c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Consonant Digraphs — Sort by Digraph Sort a bank of digraph words into the correct column and decide whether each digraph appears at the beginning or end of the word. RF.1.3c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Consonant Digraphs — Match Words & Pictures Draw lines to match digraph words to their pictures and match word pairs that share the same digraph. RF.1.3c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Consonant Digraphs — Write Digraph Words Write digraph words from pictures, fill in missing digraphs, and brainstorm words for each digraph family. RF.1.3c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Consonant Digraphs — Digraph Sentences Read sentences and circle all digraph words, then choose the correct digraph word to complete each sentence. RF.1.3c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Consonant Digraphs — Create Word Lists & Sentences Generate your own digraph word lists for each digraph and write original sentences that include multiple digraph words. RF.1.3c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Consonant Digraphs — Build & Evaluate Words Add digraphs to word parts to build real words, then decide whether digraph combinations make real or nonsense words. RF.1.3c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Consonant Digraphs — Assessment A 12-point check of digraph skills: identify digraphs, spell words from pictures, and sort words by digraph. RF.1.3c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Consonant Digraphs — Interactive Quiz Answer multiple-choice digraph questions, sort words by digraph, and fill in missing digraphs — all in one review sheet. RF.1.3c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print
Consonant Digraphs — Play Spelling Games Celebrate completing the digraph unit! Warm up with a quick fill-in exercise, then head to the interactive spelling games online. RF.1.3c · answer key included · B/W printer-safe Open & print

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Practise it online

Every game below reports results by skill to a free class dashboard, so you can see who mastered consonant sounds & digraphs and who needs another round.

Sound Sorter

Lesson plan

Blended lesson 1 →

Teacher FAQ

What is a digraph?

Two letters that make one sound: sh, ch, th, wh, ck. A blend, by contrast, is two consonants that each keep their sound, like st or bl.

Which digraph takes longest to learn?

th, because it has two sounds (this / thin) and neither exists in many other languages.

When are blends taught?

Grade 1, after single consonants and short vowels are secure, since a blend only makes sense once each consonant sound is known.

Consonant sounds & digraphs in other grades: Kindergarten