Split digraphs revision (Phase 5 phonics)

A fun, teacher-created resource that helps children understand what a split digraph word is, which is often taught in Phase 5 phonics at primary school.

What is a split digraph word?

A split digraph, also known as a magic 'e' or silent 'e', is a type of vowel digraph found in English words. In a split digraph, the vowel and the consonant 'e' in a word are separated by another consonant. For example, in the word make, the 'a' and 'e' together make the long vowel sound 'a', with the 'k' in between them.

Are split digraphs part of teaching phonics?

Split digraphs are an important concept in phonics teaching, helping children understand the relationship between vowel sounds and spelling patterns in English words.

How do you teach a child to split a digraph?

You can teach your child to split a digraph by introducing the concept, giving them examples, and setting them some practise, like this fun split digraph activity created by our expert teachers. It already provides examples and explanations and has a colourful, cutting-and-organising task. You can even make up your own paragraph afterwards and try to place the split digraph words into the correct places. 

For a more advanced activity, try our Y3 spelling: split digraphs worksheet.