Free printable · digraphs

sh words for kids

Sh is a digraph: two letters that make one sound, the "quiet please" sound in ship and fish. Children who sound it out as s-h get stuck, so it helps to teach sh as one sound from the start.

This page has 29 sh words in 3 groups: sh at the start, sh at the end of a short word, and sh at the end after a blend.

sh at the start

  • shed
  • shell
  • shelf
  • shift
  • ship
  • shock
  • shop
  • shot
  • shrimp
  • shrug
  • shut

sh at the end

  • cash
  • dash
  • dish
  • fish
  • gush
  • hush
  • mash
  • mesh
  • rash
  • rush
  • wish

sh at the end, after a blend

  • brush
  • crash
  • flash
  • fresh
  • smash
  • splash
  • trash

How to use this list

  1. Put a finger to your lips and say "sh" every time you see the two letters together, so your child links the letters to one sound.
  2. Keep sessions short: a few minutes a day beats one long session a week.
  3. Ask your child to say each sound and then blend them into the word. If they guess from the first letter, cover the word and go sound by sound again.
  4. Print the flashcards, mix them up, and read them out of order once the list feels easy, so your child is reading the word and not remembering the list.

Frequently asked questions

What is a digraph?

Two letters that spell one sound. Sh, ch, th and wh are the first ones most children learn. Ship has four letters but three sounds: sh-i-p.

Should I teach sh at the start or the end first?

Either works, but sh at the start (ship, shop) is usually easier to hear. Move to the end (fish, wish) once your child spots sh in a word straight away.

My child reads ship as "sip". What helps?

Go back to the sound: say sip and ship and ask which one has the quiet sound. Then read the sh column again slowly, pointing under the sh each time.

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