What term names a two-letter combination that makes a single sound at the start of a word, as in chip?

What term names a two-letter combination that makes a single sound at the start of a word, as in chip?

• A. Consonant blend
• B. Consonant digraph
• C. Vowel digraph
• D. Vowel diphthong

Answer: (B)

Two-letter sequences that produce one sound are digraphs. When two consonants work together to form one sound, it’s a consonant digraph. In chip, the pair “ch” isn’t spoken as two separate sounds; it represents a single sound /tʃ/ like in church or cheese. That makes it a consonant digraph. Consonant blends, by contrast, keep two distinct sounds, as in “bl” in blue where you hear /b/ and /l/ together. Vowel digraphs involve two vowels making one vowel sound, such as “ea” in bread or “oa” in boat, which isn’t the case here. Vowel diphthongs are two vowels that create a glide between sounds, like “oi” in boil, which again doesn’t apply to the consonant pair in chip.

Two-letter sequences that produce one sound are digraphs. When two consonants work together to form one sound, it’s a consonant digraph. In chip, the pair “ch” isn’t spoken as two separate sounds; it represents a single sound /tʃ/ like in church or cheese. That makes it a consonant digraph.

Consonant blends, by contrast, keep two distinct sounds, as in “bl” in blue where you hear /b/ and /l/ together. Vowel digraphs involve two vowels making one vowel sound, such as “ea” in bread or “oa” in boat, which isn’t the case here. Vowel diphthongs are two vowels that create a glide between sounds, like “oi” in boil, which again doesn’t apply to the consonant pair in chip.