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wh Words and Question Words

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A list of wh words and question words, two trace-and-write pages, a word hunt, a fill-in page and a question word page.

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About these wh words worksheets

In most American speech, wh says the same sound as w: whale sounds like it starts like wet. That means children can't tell wh from w by listening. They learn which words are spelled with wh, and the most useful ones are the question words.

wh words: whale, wheel, whip, whisk, white, whiz, while, whisper. Question words: what, when, where, why, which. Who also starts with wh, but it says h.

Digraphs are a 1st grade skill that many children start late in kindergarten. The pages below go from spotting wh, to writing it, to choosing the right question word in a sentence.

Standards

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.AKnow the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.BDecode regularly spelled one-syllable words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.1.DUnderstand and use question words (interrogatives) (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how).
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.2.CWrite a letter or letters for most consonant and short-vowel sounds (phonemes).

How to use them

  1. Read the word list together, especially the question words. Ask a real question with each one: What is that? Where is your shoe?
  2. On the word hunt page, your child reads each word and circles the ones that start with wh, skipping look-alikes like wet, web and with.
  3. Use the tracing pages for what, when and where. These words show up in almost every early reader.
  4. On the question word page, read each question and its answer together, then circle the question word that fits.

Teaching tips

  • Because wh and w sound alike, treat wh question words partly as sight words: look, say, spell, write.
  • Link each question word to its kind of answer: where is a place, when is a time, why is a reason, which is a choice.
  • Some speakers say a breathy hw in whale and white. Either way of saying it is fine.
  • Who and whole break the rule: wh says h. Point them out when they come up rather than teaching them first.

Questions teachers and parents ask

What are some wh words for kids?

The most useful wh words are the question words what, when, where, why and which. Other easy wh words are whale, wheel, whip, white and while.

Does wh make its own sound?

For most American speakers wh sounds just like w. Some people say a breathy hw. Either is correct; children mainly need to know how to spell wh words.

Why is who spelled with wh?

Who is an old spelling that kept its wh even though it says h. Teach it as a sight word alongside the other question words.