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English•Phonics & Oral Language

Blends and digraphs

Lower Primary 6 questions
AI-drafted from platform data — specialist review scheduledBy DigiTransact Mastermind editorial teamLast updated
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What blends and digraphs means

You learn to notice letter teams that make one sound, such as sh, ch, and th. This helps you read and say short words more accurately in early primary English.

What you will practise

  • Spot words that start with a blend or digraph.
  • Read simple words with sh, ch, th, bl and st.
  • Choose the word that matches a spoken sound.
  • Notice letter teams at the beginning or end of words.

Before you start

You should already know most letter names and common single letter sounds. It also helps if you can read a few short CVC words and say them clearly.

Worked example

One question from this skill's own question bank, shown with its full working.

Question

Which word begins with the "sh" sound?

  • chip
  • ship
  • sip
  • tip
Answer: ship

Working: "Ship" starts with the digraph sh.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Saying each letter separately instead of one blended sound. Say the pair together, like sh or ch.
  • Mixing up beginning and ending sounds in a word. Check where the sound comes first or last.
  • Choosing a word by the spelling only, not the sound. Read the word aloud before you answer.
  • Missing the full word when a letter team appears in the middle. Listen for the target sound in the exact place asked.

Curriculum and exam alignment

Ghana GES Basic 1 to 3 syllabusSchool-based assessment

This topic usually appears in Lower Primary phonics work, where pupils move from single letter sounds to common blends and digraphs. It supports school-based continuous assessment and end-of-term tests because learners must read, recognise and use these letter teams in simple words.

Curriculum notes are a general guide to where this work normally sits. Always check the syllabus your school or examination body is currently using.

Related skills

Other Phonics & Oral Language skills in English, at the same point in the course.

Other English topics

Letters and SoundsEarly Reading and WritingSHS English and LiteratureAcademic and Professional WritingGrammarVocabulary

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Exams that assess blends and digraphs

Lower Primary work on this skill feeds directly into these exam papers. Each page lists the English topics that appear on it.

GESGES practice questionsFree GES practice across the subjects at this stage, with worked answers.BECEBECE practice questionsListed as a related subject on the BECE practice page.WASSCEWASSCE practice questionsListed as a related subject on the WASSCE practice page.

How this page was produced

This text was drafted with AI assistance from the questions and topics already stored on the platform. A subject-specialist review is scheduled but has not yet been recorded, so we do not claim it here.

Written by
DigiTransact Mastermind editorial team
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Practise blends and digraphs

6 questions with a worked answer after every attempt, and a SmartScore that tracks how close you are to mastery.

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