CH Digraph: Word List & Practice
CH Digraph words follow one repeating pattern, so a child who can read one of them has most of what they need to read the rest. This list has 14 kindergarten–grade 1-level words plus 4 decodable sentences. Practice them out loud — the most common error is confusing 'ch' with 'sh' when reading quickly.
- chip
- chin
- chat
- chop
- cheese
- chair
- teach
- beach
- peach
- lunch
- bench
- much
- such
- church
Practice these words out loud
Have your child read these sentences to Word Wiz AI. It listens and shows exactly which sounds they missed, not just whether the word was right. Free, no sign-up needed to try.
Try these out loudDecodable Sentences
Every word in these sentences uses sounds your child has already learned, so they can be read by decoding rather than guessing.
- Chip and chat by the chair.
- Teach me to reach the peach.
- Much cheese is on the bench.
- Church bells ring at lunch.
How to Teach CH Digraph Words
Like 'sh,' the digraph 'ch' makes one completely new sound when the two letters combine, and it is a good idea to directly compare 'sh' and 'ch' side by side once your child knows both, since they are visually similar and easy to mix up under time pressure. Have your child say 'ship' and 'chip' back to back and notice how the ch sound has a slight puff or click at the start that sh does not.
'Ch' also appears at the end of words ('much,' 'such,' 'lunch,' 'bench'), not just the beginning, so make sure practice includes both positions. A small number of 'ch' words, mostly borrowed from other languages, are pronounced like 'sh' (as in 'chef') or like 'k' (as in 'school'), but these are rare enough at this stage to set aside until your child is a more advanced reader.
Common Mistakes to Watch For
- Confusing 'ch' with 'sh' when reading quickly
- Trying to sound out 'c' and 'h' as two separate sounds
- Missing 'ch' at the end of a word like 'lunch' or 'bench'