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Digraph WH Worksheets

Free printable digraph wh phonics worksheets. Four practice activities: decodable passage, word sort, phrasing cards, and rapid naming chart.

Grade: K-1 Phase 2: Blends & Digraphs Pattern: WH digraph (initial)
what when where which while whim whip whiz wham whack whale wheat

1 Decodable Reading Passage

A short, decodable story embedding digraph wh words. Students read the passage then highlight all the target words.

Val's White Wheat
Skill: Digraph WH  •  Sight Words: the, is, a, and, to, was, it, she, he, they
Val's White Wheat coloring page illustration
Coloring page included in PDF
Val had a plan to make a big snack. "What can I whip up?" she said. Val got a big dish and a whisk. "When will it be a good mix?" she said. Whiz, whiz, went the whisk. Val spun it fast. But the wet dish slid from her hand. Wham! It hit the rug. "Why did that drop?" said Val. "Where is my fresh snack?" She had to stop and scrub the whole rug. "I will just eat a plum," said Val with a sad nod.
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Val's White Wheat decodable reader mini-book
Free decodable reader Read “Val's White Wheat” as an illustrated mini-book → The full printable story + coloring page, using only digraph wh sounds your child has learned.

2 Word Sort

Cut out the word cards and sort them into the correct columns: WH at the Start vs WH at the End.

WH at the Start
WH at the End
what
when
where
which
while
whim
whip
whiz
wham
whack
whale
wheat
wheel
whiff
whisk
white
why
who
whom
whole
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3 Phrasing Practice Cards

Practice reading these phrases for fluency. Cut out the cards and read them quickly and smoothly.

the what on when
a when in where
the where and which
a which with while
the while on whim
a whim in whip
the whip and whiz
a whiz with wham
the wham on whack
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4 RAN Chart (Rapid Naming)

Read each word in the grid as quickly as you can. Time yourself and try to beat your best time!

Decodable RAN Chart — Digraph WH
why
wheel
wheel
why
what
what
why
wham
wham
while
while
while
what
wham
what
wheel
Target words: what, while, wham, wheel, why
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5 Word Search

Find and circle the digraph wh words hidden in the grid. Words go across, down, and diagonally — a fun way to reinforce digraph wh word recognition.

Digraph WH Word Search
R
O
W
P
R
W
H
A
L
E
W
H
E
A
T
F
H
V
D
D
H
E
Q
W
H
E
N
I
U
R
I
M
W
H
A
C
K
W
Z
X
M
Y
S
I
W
F
Z
H
D
R
S
G
I
P
H
B
Y
E
W
U
H
D
R
C
I
I
F
R
H
J
M
U
M
N
L
F
G
E
A
Q
W
H
A
T
E
F
P
P
M
E
X
T
H
W
H
I
C
H
K
C
WHACK WHALE WHAM WHAT WHEAT WHEN WHERE WHICH WHILE WHIM WHIP WHIZ
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📖 Decodable Readers for Digraph WH

Next step: once your child can sound out these words, have them read a matching decodable mini-book. Each Digraph WH reader is a printable story + coloring page using only sounds they've learned.

Val's White Wheat decodable reader
Val's White Wheat
 Kim's Whisk Mix decodable reader
Kim's Whisk Mix
← Word Families (-ig, -in, -it) View All Phonics Skills Word Families (-et, -en, -ed) →

Free Printable Digraph WH Worksheets

The WH digraph represents a unique sound that often challenges kindergarten and first-grade learners. Appearing at the beginning of words like what, when, where, and why, this digraph is particularly tricky because its sound is very close to the /w/ sound of the letter 'w' alone. Children frequently omit the subtle /h/ sound, pronouncing "whale" as "wale" or "whisk" as "wisk." This confusion stems from the visual similarity and the fact that 'h' is often silent in other contexts. Mastering this initial WH sound is crucial for accurate decoding and encoding, especially as students encounter more complex words like "while" or "whole," where the initial sound significantly alters meaning and pronunciation. Explicit instruction helps differentiate the WH sound from the simple /w/, preventing common mispronunciations and improving reading fluency. Our worksheets are designed to help students master the initial WH digraph through engaging activities. After reading "Pip's Whisk Mix," encourage your child to identify and highlight all the WH words in the decodable passage, reinforcing their recognition in context. The word sort activity asks students to categorize words like "what," "wheel," and "white," helping them visually and phonetically distinguish WH words from other initial sounds. Use the phrasing cards to practice reading WH words in short, meaningful phrases, building fluency and comprehension. Finally, the Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) chart for WH words provides a fun and effective way to build automaticity and quick recall, ensuring students can effortlessly recognize and pronounce words such as "whim," "whip," and "whiz" as they encounter them in their reading.

For more early literacy resources, explore our sight word flashcards, tracing worksheets, handwriting worksheets, and coloring pages.