Build Blend and Digraph Words

Grade 1·RF.1.3

Build words that begin with two letters working together — blends like fr and st (two sounds blended) and digraphs like sh and ch (two letters, one sound). Tap the sound chunks in order to spell the word for the picture, and tap Hear it to listen. Take your time; there is no timer and no score. Aligned to Common Core RF.1.3 — knowing the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs and blends.

About this activity

A picture appears — ship, chin, frog, flag, drum, crab, sled, clock — and the child taps the sound chunks in order to build the word, choosing the right opening pair from look-alike chunks, with a Hear it button to check by sound. Build Blend and Digraph Words is a free Grade 1 phonics activity for words that begin with two letters working together, played in the browser with no sign-up.

The activity makes the difference between a blend and a digraph concrete. Blends like fr, fl, dr, cr, sl, and cl hold two sounds you can still hear separately, while digraphs like sh and ch are two letters that make a single sound, and the distractor chunks are the easy mix-ups — ch versus sh, fr versus fl — so a child must listen for the exact opening before tapping. Building the word chunk by chunk, then hearing it, ties the spelling to the sounds rather than to memorized shapes.

It is aligned to Common Core RF.1.3 — knowing the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs and blends. No timer, no score — just calm, playful practice.

What's inside this activity

  • Designed for Grade 1 learners (ages about 6–7)
  • Common Core strand: Reading: Foundational Skills
  • Aligned to Common Core standard RF.1.3

How to play

Look at the picture and tap Hear it to listen to the word.

Tap the sound chunks in order to spell it, starting with the right opening pair.

Listen again and fix your spelling as needed — there is no timer and no score.

What your child practices

  • Hear and spell the opening blend in words like frog and sled
  • Spell digraphs sh and ch as two letters making one sound
  • Tell easily-confused chunks apart, such as ch and sh or fr and fl
  • Build a whole word by placing its sound chunks in order

Learning goals

Read and spell words with common blends and digraphs — the focus of Common Core RF.1.3.

Understand that a blend keeps two sounds while a digraph makes one.

Build the decoding skills that move children beyond simple three-letter words.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Build Blend and Digraph Words activity teach?
Build Blend and Digraph Words is a free interactive activity for Grade 1, focused on Reading: Foundational Skills. Children play it right in the browser — no printing, login, or setup required.
Is Build Blend and Digraph Words free to use?
Yes. Build Blend and Digraph Words is completely free, with no signup and no paywall, on any tablet, laptop, or classroom whiteboard.
Which ages is this activity for?
It is designed for Grade 1 (Reading: Foundational Skills) and works well for whole-class, small-group, or independent practice.

Practice this standard

See all RF.1.3 activities

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