Two consonants that represent one speech sound (Examples: ch, sh, th) are which term?

Two consonants that represent one speech sound (Examples: ch, sh, th) are which term?

• A. Denotation
• B. Connotation
• C. CVVC
• D. Consonant Digraph

Answer: (D)

In phonics, a digraph is two letters that work together to make a single sound. When those two letters are both consonants, it’s called a consonant digraph. That’s exactly what ch, sh, and th are doing: they pair two consonants to produce one sound, as in chair (/tʃ/), ship (/ʃ/), and think (/θ/ or /ð/). This is different from a consonant blend, where each letter keeps its own sound in the word (like bl in blue). The other terms don’t describe this idea. Denotation and connotation relate to meaning, not sound. CVVC is a way to describe a vowel pattern in a word, not the relationship of two consonants making one sound. So the best term for two consonants that represent one speech sound is consonant digraph.

In phonics, a digraph is two letters that work together to make a single sound. When those two letters are both consonants, it’s called a consonant digraph. That’s exactly what ch, sh, and th are doing: they pair two consonants to produce one sound, as in chair (/tʃ/), ship (/ʃ/), and think (/θ/ or /ð/). This is different from a consonant blend, where each letter keeps its own sound in the word (like bl in blue).

The other terms don’t describe this idea. Denotation and connotation relate to meaning, not sound. CVVC is a way to describe a vowel pattern in a word, not the relationship of two consonants making one sound. So the best term for two consonants that represent one speech sound is consonant digraph.