1st grade ending digraphs (sh, ch, th) worksheets

First graders read and spell words that end in sh, ch, and th: brush, branch, tooth. Hearing the final digraph is what stops the classic spelling losses (bruch for brush).

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core RF.1.3.a.

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The kind of words you'll sort

Say each word and listen to its ending. Write it under its final sound team.

ranchfaithwithrelishgushreachbunchsixthflushmunchbirthtrash

Columns: -sh and -ch and -th. "relish" belongs under -sh; "munch" belongs under -ch; "sixth" belongs under -th.

Every print pulls a fresh set of word lists at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.

What's on each sheet

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

When a word lands in the wrong column, don't fix it silently; say the word together and hold the last sound. Spelling practice can ride along: cover the word, say it, and ask which team closes it before your child writes it out.

Watch for: The same team can start one word and end another: shop and fish share the sh sound in different places. The ending is still one sound, not two; lunch ends in the single ch sound, not a c and an h.

Common questions about ending digraphs (sh, ch, th)

What spelling mistakes does this sort prevent?
The missing-h family: bruch for brush, mont for month, mat for math. A first grader who has sorted dozens of -sh, -ch, and -th words expects two letters at the end and writes them as a unit instead of guessing.
Why isn't catch on this worksheet?
Catch, match, and pitch end in a three-letter spelling, tch, that says the same ch sound. It's a real pattern with its own rule (short vowels usually take tch), but mixing it in would muddy a two-letter sort. It gets its own moment later.

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Aligned to Common Core RF.1.3.a. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 137, updated August 2026.

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