What do we call combinations of letters that produce a single sound?

The correct term for combinations of letters that produce a single sound is digraphs. A digraph is a pair of letters that together represent one phoneme or sound. For example, in words like "sh" in "ship" or "ch" in "chocolate," the two letters work together to create a unique sound that is distinct from the sounds of the individual letters.

Understanding digraphs is crucial in the study of phonics, as they illustrate how certain letter combinations can alter pronunciation and contribute to the development of reading skills. Recognizing digraphs helps students decode words more effectively and enhances their phonemic awareness.

Phonemes refer to individual sounds in a language and do not involve combinations of letters. Syllables are units of sound that typically include a vowel sound and may contain consonants but are not defined by combinations of letters producing a single sound. Affixes are prefixes or suffixes attached to root words and do not correspond to combinations of letters creating a single sound.