Today, we’ll explore the consonant digraph “ph,” learn how it sounds, where it comes from, and see examples of words containing “ph.”
Consonant Digraph “ph”
What is the Consonant Digraph “ph”?
A digraph is when two letters come together to make one sound. In this case, the letters p and h work as a team to create the /f/ sound.
Digraph “ph” = /f/
Even though it looks different, it sounds exactly like the letter f.
Why Does English Use “ph”?
Many words with “ph” come from Greek. In Greek, the letter phi (φ) was used, which sounds like /f/. When these words came into English, the spelling stayed, even though English already had the letter “f.”
Examples:
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Philosophy (from Greek philosophia)
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Paragraph (from Greek paragraphos)
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Alphabet (from Greek alpha + beta)
Common Words with “ph”
Let’s take a look at some examples of the consonant digraph “ph” words. Try saying these words aloud multiple times to practice your pronunciation.
| ph at the Beginning | ph in the Middle | ph at the End |
|---|---|---|
| phone /foʊn/ | elephant /ˈɛlɪfənt/ | graph /ɡræf/ |
| phantom /ˈfæntəm/ | dolphin /ˈdɑːlfɪn/ | triumph /ˈtraɪʌmf/ |
| pharmacy /ˈfɑːrməsi/ | trophy /ˈtroʊfi/ | nymph /nɪmf/ |
Words with Consonant Digraph “ph”
Words with “ph” = /f/ at the Beginning
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| phobia | /ˈfoʊbiə/ |
| phone | /foʊn/ |
| phantom | /ˈfæntəm/ |
| pharmacy | /ˈfɑːrməsi/ |
| phase | /feɪz/ |
| phrase | /freɪz/ |
| photograph | /ˈfoʊtəˌɡræf/ |
| philosophy | /fəˈlɑːsəfi/ |
| physicist | /ˈfɪzɪsɪst/ |
| physical | /ˈfɪzɪkəl/ |
| physics | /ˈfɪzɪks/ |
| phenotype | /ˈfiːnəˌtaɪp/ |
| philanthropy | /fəˈlænθrəpi/ |
| phosphor | /ˈfɑːsfər/ |
| phosphate | /ˈfɑːsfeɪt/ |
| pharaoh | /ˈfɛəroʊ/ |
| phytoplankton | /ˌfaɪtoʊˈplæŋktən/ |
| phytology | /faɪˈtɑːlədʒi/ |
| phosphorous | /ˈfɑːsfərəs/ |
| phytopathology | /ˌfaɪtoʊpəˈθɑːlədʒi/ |
| photogenic | /ˌfoʊtəˈdʒɛnɪk/ |
| photometer | /foʊˈtɑːmɪtər/ |
| photonic | /foʊˈtɑːnɪk/ |
| photonics | /foʊˈtɑːnɪks/ |
| photochemistry | /ˌfoʊtoʊˈkɛmɪstri/ |
| phototherapy | /ˌfoʊtoʊˈθɛrəpi/ |
| phonics | /ˈfɑːnɪks/ |
| phonetic | /fəˈnɛtɪk/ |
| phonology | /fəˈnɑːlədʒi/ |
| phonograph | /ˈfoʊnəˌɡræf/ |
| phoneme | /ˈfoʊniːm/ |
| phlebotomy | /fləˈbɑːtəmi/ |
| phlegm | /flɛm/ |
| phlox | /flɑːks/ |
| phylum | /ˈfaɪləm/ |
| phyllo | /ˈfiːloʊ/ |
| phyllosphere | /ˈfɪloʊˌsfɪər/ |
| phyllite | /ˈfɪlaɪt/ |
| phylogeny | /faɪˈlɑːdʒəni/ |
| physiotherapy | /ˌfɪzioʊˈθɛrəpi/ |
| physiognomy | /ˌfɪziˈɑːnəmi/ |
| physic | /ˈfɪzɪk/ |
| physique | /fəˈziːk/ |
| phytosanitary | /ˌfaɪtoʊˈsænɪˌtɛri/ |
| phytotoxic | /ˌfaɪtoʊˈtɑːksɪk/ |
| phytotron | /ˈfaɪtoʊˌtrɑːn/ |
| phycology | /faɪˈkɑːlədʒi/ |
| phycocyanin | /ˌfaɪkoʊˈsaɪənɪn/ |
| pheasant | /ˈfɛzənt/ |
Words with “ph” = /f/ in the Middle
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| elephant | /ˈɛlɪfənt/ |
| dolphin | /ˈdɑːlfɪn/ |
| trophy | /ˈtroʊfi/ |
| sapphire | /ˈsæfaɪər/ |
| nephew | /ˈnefjuː/ |
| orphan | /ˈɔːrfən/ |
| typhoid | /ˈtaɪfɔɪd/ |
| zephyr | /ˈzɛfər/ |
| amphibian | /æmˈfɪbiən/ |
| atmosphere | /ˈætməsfɪər/ |
| epiphany | /ɪˈpɪfəni/ |
| emphasis | /ˈɛmfəsɪs/ |
| metaphor | /ˈmɛtəfɔːr/ |
| hypertrophy | /haɪˈpɜːrtrəfi/ |
| phosphorus | /ˈfɑːsfərəs/ |
| amphora | /ˈæmfərə/ |
| lymphatic | /lɪmˈfætɪk/ |
| triumphant | /traɪˈʌmfənt/ |
| epiphyte | /ˈɛpɪfaɪt/ |
| morphine | /ˈmɔːrfiːn/ |
| emphatic | /ɛmˈfætɪk/ |
| dolphins | /ˈdɑːlfɪnz/ |
| elephantine | /ˌɛləˈfæntaɪn/ |
| amphitheater | /ˈæmfɪˌθiːətər/ |
| nephrite | /ˈnɛfraɪt/ |
| ephemera | /ɪˈfɛmərə/ |
| nephron | /ˈnɛfrɑːn/ |
| ephemeris | /ɪˈfɛmərɪs/ |
| seraphim | /ˈserəfɪm/ |
| epiphysis | /ɪˈpɪfəsɪs/ |
| amphioxus | /ˌæmfiˈɑːksəs/ |
| nephrology | /nɛˈfrɑːlədʒi/ |
| lymphocyte | /ˈlɪmfəsaɪt/ |
| metaphase | /ˈmɛtəfeɪz/ |
| epiphora | /ɪˈpɪfərə/ |
| amphipathic | /ˌæmfɪˈpæθɪk/ |
| amphibia | /æmˈfɪbiə/ |
| monophonic | /ˌmɑːnəˈfɑːnɪk/ |
| polyphonic | /ˌpɑːliˈfɑːnɪk/ |
| epiphytic | /ˌɛpɪˈfaɪtɪk/ |
| cataphyll | /ˈkætəfɪl/ |
| metaphoric | /ˌmɛtəˈfɔːrɪk/ |
| peripheral | /pəˈrɪfərəl/ |
| amphimixis | /ˌæmfɪˈmɪksɪs/ |
| diaphysis | /daɪˈæfəsɪs/ |
| metaphorical | /ˌmɛtəˈfɔːrɪkəl/ |
Words with “ph” = /f/ at the End
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| graph | /ɡræf/ |
| autograph | /ˈɔːtəɡræf/ |
| paragraph | /ˈpærəɡræf/ |
| telegraph | /ˈtelɪɡræf/ |
| photograph | /ˈfoʊtəɡræf/ |
| lithograph | /ˈlɪθəɡræf/ |
| monograph | /ˈmɑːnəɡræf/ |
| polygraph | /ˈpɑːlɪɡræf/ |
| phonograph | /ˈfoʊnəɡræf/ |
| chronograph | /ˈkrɒnəɡræf/ |
| seismograph | /ˈsaɪzməɡræf/ |
| cardiograph | /ˈkɑːrdiəɡræf/ |
| epigraph | /ˈepɪɡræf/ |
| holograph | /ˈhɑːləɡræf/ |
| micrograph | /ˈmaɪkrəɡræf/ |
| glyph | /ɡlɪf/ |
| hieroglyph | /ˈhaɪərəˌɡlɪf/ |
| petroglyph | /ˈpɛtrəˌɡlɪf/ |
| nymph | /nɪmf/ |
| lymph | /lɪmf/ |
| seraph | /ˈserəf/ |
| triumph | /ˈtraɪʌmf/ |
| digraph | /ˈdaɪɡræf/ |
| allograph | /ˈæləˌɡræf/ |
| pseudograph | /ˈsuːdəˌɡræf/ |
| iconograph | /aɪˈkɒnəˌɡræf/ |
| choreograph | /ˈkɔːriəˌɡræf/ |
| cinematograph | /sɪˌnɛməˈtɒɡrəf/ |
| stenograph | /ˈstɛnəˌɡræf/ |
| vibrograph | /ˈvaɪbroʊˌɡræf/ |
| xerograph | /ˈzɪərəˌɡræf/ |
| selenograph | /sɪˈliːnəˌɡræf/ |
| heliograph | /ˈhiːliəˌɡræf/ |
| radiograph | /ˈreɪdiəˌɡræf/ |
| paleograph | /ˌpeɪliˈɒɡrəf/ |
| stylograph | /ˈstaɪləˌɡræf/ |
| typograph | /taɪˈpɒɡræf/ |
Learn the Consonant Digraph PH: Meaning, Sound, and Word List — Practice Quiz
Q1
Question 1: What sound does the consonant digraph "ph" make in English?
Q2
Question 2: Most English words spelled with "ph" originally come from Latin.
Q3
Question 3: Which word contains the digraph "ph" in the middle of the word?
Q4
Question 4: Match each word to the position of "ph" in that word.
Q5