W or WH Worksheet

Telling the difference between w and wh is one of the first real spelling decisions a young reader has to make, because both spellings say the very same /w/ sound. This w or wh worksheet gives first graders focused practice hearing that sound at the start of a word and then choosing the letters that spell it. Words like wagon, window and worm begin with a single w, while whale, wheel and whistle begin with the consonant digraph wh. Since listening alone will never separate the two groups, children learn to lean on the word itself — and that is exactly the habit strong spellers build.

This printable 1st grade consonants worksheet is built in two halves so the skill grows across the page. In the first half, students study six pictures, say each picture name out loud, and write w or wh on the line to finish the word. In the second half the pictures disappear: six more words wait with only their endings printed, so children have to recall the whole word before they can spell its beginning. Use the page as morning work, as a phonics center, as guided practice during a small-group lesson, or as a quick check after teaching the wh digraph.

What’s Included

• 1 print-ready PDF worksheet
• Answer key
• 6 picture-and-letter activities plus 6 picture-free word activities

There are three reasons this w or wh worksheet helps children learn the skill so quickly. First, it isolates one decision — w or wh — so nothing competes for attention and every item reinforces the same pattern. Second, the picture half gives beginning readers a meaning clue while the picture-free half removes that support, so students move from recognition to independent recall on a single page. Third, writing the letters by hand instead of circling an answer builds the motor memory that shows up later in everyday writing.

Teachers and parents can stretch the skill well past the page. Take a wh word hunt around the room or through a favorite picture book and tally every word that starts with wh. Play a quick sorting game with word cards, tossing each one into a w basket or a wh basket. Ask question words out loud — who, what, when, where, why — and let children notice that nearly every question word begins with wh. Finish by having students write one silly sentence that uses as many w and wh words as they can fit.

Related Resources

• Consonant Digraphs Worksheet
• H Digraphs Fill in the Blank Worksheet
• Ending Digraphs Sentences Worksheet
• Letter W Song (Have Fun Teaching)