A digraph is two letters that team up to spell one sound, and sh and ch are two of the first digraphs children meet. In ship, the s and h do not keep their own sounds; together they make one new /sh/ sound. In chin, c and h make a different single sound, /ch/. Because sh and ch look similar on the page and both start many common words, children easily swap them, reading chip for ship or sheep for cheap. Splitting sh and ch into their own worksheet, rather than mixing them with th, wh, and other digraphs, gives your child room to compare exactly this one pair closely.
This page asks your child to find the word that starts with a target sound, complete a partly hidden word with the correct two letters, find the word that has sh or ch in it, and choose the right word to finish a short, true sentence. Both sh and ch appear as answers, so your child has to listen and look rather than always choosing the same pair. Have your child say each word slowly and notice whether the lips spread flat for /sh/ or start rounder for /ch/, since that difference is often easier to feel than to explain.
What your child will learn
Hear the sh and ch sounds in words
Tell sh words apart from ch words
Read and spell common sh and ch words
Choose an sh or ch word that fits a sentence
Worked example
Ship begins with sh: the s and h work together for one /sh/ sound. Chop begins with ch: the c and h work together for a different single sound.
Common mistake
Mixing up sh and ch because both pair a consonant with h, such as reading chip when the word is ship.
Helpful hint
Say the word and notice whether it starts with the /sh/ sound or the /ch/ sound.
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