These PDF spelling worksheets, covering the split digraph ‘a-e’ making the /ai/ sound, are an excellent way for children in Y1 to revise and practise this spelling pattern.
The worksheets include different activities in which children look at spelling patterns, identify misspelt words and apply their spellings in context. They can be used within lessons, as an assessment or as a homework task.
This primary resource is divided into three sections:
Tips
Read the words containing ‘a-e’ out loud
Check
Tick the real words and place the correct words in sentences
Use
Write a sentence to describe each of the images, using the words provided for each
What is a digraph?
A digraph is where two letters are combined to make one sound. These can be vowel digraphs or consonant digraphs.
What is a split digraph?
A split digraph is a vowel digraph is separated by a consonant. For example the vowel digraph ‘ee’ is separated by the letter ‘s’ in the word these.
Examples of digraphs
Phase 2
ck
ff
ll
ss
Phase 3
ch
sh
th
ng
ai
ee
oa
oo
ar
or
ur
ow
oi
er
Phase 5
ay
ou
ie
ea
oy
ir
ou
aw
wh
ph
ew
oe
au
ey
a-e
e-e
i-e
o-e
u-e
What is a trigraph?
A trigraph is where three letters are combined to make one sound.
Examples of trigraphs
Phase 3
igh
ear
air
ore
National Curriculum English programme of study links
To spell words containing vowel digraphs : ‘a-e’ making the /ai/ sound