Trigraphs · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Trigraphs: three letters, one sound

English · Phonics & Word Reading · ages 5-6
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which of these is a trigraph?

    • sh
    • igh
    • ch

  2. Which word has a trigraph?

    • night
    • cat
    • sun

  3. A trigraph is three letters that make one single sound.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. What sound do the three letters 'igh' make in 'light'?

    light
    • One sound, like 'eye'
    • Three separate sounds: i, g, h
    • The sound 'sh'

  5. Which word rhymes with 'chair'?

    • bear
    • hear
    • cat

  6. The word 'square' has the /air/ sound.

    Circle one:   True   False

  7. Sam says the sounds f, air. Which word is he reading?

    • far
    • fair
    • fat

  8. Ben is writing 'near'. He has written 'n'. Which letters finish the word?

    • air
    • igh
    • ear

  9. Which word has the same three-letter team as 'chair'?

    • bare
    • hair
    • cheer

  10. Which word has the same 'ear' sound as 'bear'?

    • dear
    • pear
    • fear
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_roAgL1rQRF-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Trigraphs: three letters, one sound W1-mt_roAgL1rQRF-s1

  1. igh · Only 'igh' has three letters making one sound. 'Sh' and 'ch' have two letters.
  2. night · 'Night' has the trigraph 'igh'. Those three letters make one sound.
  3. True · That is exactly what a trigraph is: three letters, one sound.
  4. One sound, like 'eye' · 'igh' is a trigraph. All three letters together make one sound.
  5. bear · 'Bear' and 'chair' both say /air/. 'Hear' sounds different, like /eer/.
  6. True · Square ends in the letters a-r-e, which say air.
  7. fair · F and air blended together make the word fair.
  8. ear · Near is n plus ear. The eer sound is spelled e-a-r.
  9. hair · Chair and hair both use the team a-i-r. Bare uses a-r-e, even though it sounds the same.
  10. pear · Bear and pear both say air. Dear and fear say eer.
Worksheet · LightMySky