A digraph, such as 'sh', counts as how many sounds?

A digraph represents a single sound that is formed when two letters combine to produce one phoneme. In the case of 'sh', both letters work together to create the sound /ʃ/ (as in "ship"). This means that despite being composed of two letters, a digraph like 'sh' functions as one distinct sound in spoken language. This principle applies to other digraphs as well, demonstrating that the combination of certain letters can result in a single unique sound rather than multiple sounds. This concept is crucial in phonics instruction, as it helps young learners understand how letters work together to form words.