WH Digraph: Word List & Practice
WH 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 10 kindergarten–grade 1-level words plus 4 decodable sentences. Practice them out loud — the most common error is confusing 'wh' words with plain 'w' words when reading quickly.
- what
- when
- where
- why
- white
- wheel
- whale
- whisk
- whisper
- which
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.
- What is white and where?
- When will the whale whisper?
- Why is the wheel here?
- Whisk the batter, then ask which.
How to Teach WH Digraph Words
The digraph 'wh' makes a sound very close to a plain 'w' in most American English dialects — 'what' and a hypothetical 'wat' sound almost identical — so this is one digraph where the visual spelling matters more than a dramatically different sound. Still, teaching it as its own two-letter unit matters because so many question words start this way: 'what,' 'when,' 'where,' 'why,' and 'which' are the backbone of how children ask questions in both speech and early writing.
Because the 'wh' question words are used so often in classroom instructions ('When do we...', 'Where is the...'), fluent, instant recognition of this digraph pays off well beyond phonics practice — it directly supports following along with spoken and written directions at school.
Common Mistakes to Watch For
- Confusing 'wh' words with plain 'w' words when reading quickly
- Trying to sound out 'w' and 'h' as two separate sounds
- Mixing up similar-looking question words like 'when' and 'where'