Digraph Bingo: Free Printable Consonant Digraph Bingo (Sh, Ch, Th, Wh, Ck)
Digraph bingo is a phonics game where each square is a word with a consonant digraph (two letters that make one sound), like sh in ship, ch in chin, th in thumb, wh in whale or ck in duck. The caller reads a picture clue or the word, and kids find and read the word on their card. Below is a 24-word digraph bingo list for 4x4 cards, a caller list with a clue for every word, and ways to play sh, ch, th bingo with kindergarten and 1st grade.
The button opens the generator with all 24 words as 4x4 cards (no free center). With 24 words and 16 squares, every card is different. It's set to 25 cards.
▶ Make these digraph bingo cards
How to play digraph bingo
- Hand out cards and markers. Have kids underline the digraph in each word on their card first (sh, ch, th, wh, ck, ph).
- Read a clue from the caller list: "A baby chicken."
- Kids find the word (chick), read it aloud with a partner and mark it.
- Four in a row wins. The winner reads each marked word and says its digraph sound.
Digraph bingo caller list
| Clue to read | Word | Digraph |
|---|---|---|
| It sails on the sea. | ship | sh |
| Find me on the beach. | shell | sh |
| It swims and has fins. | fish | sh |
| You eat food from it. | dish | sh |
| Use it on your hair or teeth. | brush | sh |
| It's under your mouth. | chin | ch |
| A baby chicken. | chick | ch |
| The meal in the middle of the day. | lunch | ch |
| A long seat at the park. | bench | ch |
| You sit on it at the table. | chair | ch |
| Your shortest, thickest finger. | thumb | th |
| The number after two. | three | th |
| Splash! Time to get clean. | bath | th |
| A bug that flies to the porch light at night. | moth | th |
| You brush them twice a day. | teeth | th |
| The biggest animal in the ocean. | whale | wh |
| A bike has two of these. | wheel | wh |
| A kitchen tool for stirring eggs. | whisk | wh |
| It says quack. | duck | ck |
| You wear it inside your shoe. | sock | ck |
| It tells you the time. | clock | ck |
| You use it to call Grandma. | phone | ph |
| A fish with sharp teeth. | shark | sh |
| A mouse's favorite snack. | cheese | ch |
What is a consonant digraph?
A consonant digraph is two consonants that work together to make one new sound. In ship, the s and h don't make their own sounds; together they make /sh/. Here are the digraphs on the card:
| Digraph | Sound | Where it shows up | Words on the card |
|---|---|---|---|
| sh | /sh/ as in "shh, be quiet" | Beginning or end | ship, shell, shark, fish, dish, brush |
| ch | /ch/ as in a sneeze, "ah-choo" | Beginning or end | chin, chick, chair, cheese, lunch, bench |
| th | /th/ with the tongue between the teeth | Beginning or end | thumb, three, bath, moth, teeth |
| wh | /w/ for most speakers | Beginning | whale, wheel, whisk |
| ck | /k/ | End, right after a short vowel | duck, sock, clock, chick |
| ph | /f/ | Beginning, middle or end | phone |
Note: "chick" has two digraphs, ch at the start and ck at the end. Ask kids to find both.
Ways to call the game
- Clue call (above): great for vocabulary and listening.
- Word call: say the word; kids find it by sound. Best for beginners.
- Sound call: "Find a word that ends with /sh/." Kids pick any matching word, but only one per call.
- Spelling call (1st grade): spell the word aloud, "c-l-o-c-k," and kids read it.
- Picture call: hold up a real object or a drawing (a sock, a toy duck, a shell).
Sh, ch, th bingo for kindergarten
If your class is just starting digraphs, make a smaller card in the generator with only sh, ch and th words (16 words). Start with the beginning sounds (ship, shell, chin, chair, thumb, three) and add the ending sounds (fish, lunch, bath) once kids are ready.
Phonics tips for teachers and parents
- Make the mouth shape. /sh/ has rounded lips, /ch/ is a quick burst and /th/ puts the tongue between the teeth. Use a small mirror.
- Use hand signals: finger to lips for sh, a pretend sneeze for ch, a tongue poke for th.
- Sort after the game: kids cut out their squares and sort them into digraph piles.
- Write it: the winner writes one new word for each digraph they marked.
- Keep it playful: two short rounds beat one long round for young kids.
More phonics bingo
Digraph bingo comes right after short-vowel words, so warm up with CVC bingo and rhyming bingo. For more reading practice, try phonics bingo and sight word bingo.
Want blends like bl, st and tr next? Open the bingo card generator and type your own list.
▶ Make these digraph bingo cards
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play digraph bingo?
The caller reads a clue, like "a baby chicken," and kids find the word (chick) on their card, read it aloud and mark it. Four in a row wins.
What is a consonant digraph?
Two consonants that make one sound together, like sh in ship, ch in chin, th in thumb, wh in whale, ck in duck and ph in phone.
What is sh ch th bingo?
A simpler digraph bingo with only sh, ch and th words. It's a great first game for kindergarten.
What grade learns digraphs?
Many kids learn sh, ch and th in kindergarten and practice wh, ck and ph in 1st grade.
Is a digraph the same as a blend?
No. In a blend, like bl or st, you hear both sounds. In a digraph, the two letters make one new sound.
