Why practice digraphs at the ends of words separately?

Because ends are harder to hear. A child who nails sh at the start of ship often misses it at the end of fish; attention fades after a word begins. Sorting by final sound trains the ear to listen all the way through, which pays off directly in spelling.

How can I make the ending sound easier to hear?

Stretch it: fi-shhhh, ba-thhh. Sh and th can be held as long as you like, and ch pops at the very end. Saying each word with a long tail before sorting turns the listening problem into something even a young kindergartner can catch.

Kindergarten ending digraphs (sh, ch, th)

Kindergarten ending digraphs (sh, ch, th) worksheets

The two-letter teams that start words like ship and chin also close words like fish and lunch. Kindergartners listen to the end of each word and sort it by its final team.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core RF.K.3.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of words you'll sort

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

truthflashwhichvanishpoochpinchmarchmonthsixthteethradishfish

Columns: -sh and -ch and -th. "fish" belongs under -sh; "which" belongs under -ch; "teeth" belongs under -th.

Every print pulls a new set of words at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a kindergarten sheet

Kindergarten sheets draw from 92 words, 15 to a page. All 92 are on 1st grade sheets too, along with 6 more.

Some of the words:

crashtrashsquishpolishgushbunchinchcrunchbreathsloth

Sorting. Say each word and listen to its ending. Write it under its final sound team. 15 words per page.

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

How to teach this

Ends of words are harder to hear than beginnings, so stretch them: say fi-shhhh and let your child catch the tail. Sorting aloud with an exaggerated final sound turns a subtle listening task into an easy one, and the columns do the rest.

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 kindergarten ending digraphs (sh, ch, th)

Why practice digraphs at the ends of words separately?: Because ends are harder to hear. A child who nails sh at the start of ship often misses it at the end of fish; attention fades after a word begins. Sorting by final sound trains the ear to listen all the way through, which pays off directly in spelling.
How can I make the ending sound easier to hear?: Stretch it: fi-shhhh, ba-thhh. Sh and th can be held as long as you like, and ch pops at the very end. Saying each word with a long tail before sorting turns the listening problem into something even a young kindergartner can catch.

Related worksheets

Ready to print one?

Need a fresh set of words? Download another copy.

Aligned to Common Core RF.K.3. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated July 2026.

Spot a mistake on this sheet? Tell us. · About these worksheets