Digraph
/ˈdaɪ.ɡræf/noun
A pair of letters representing one sound, or a pair of characters used as a single symbol.
Did you know?“Digraph” comes from Greek writing terms, and its root graph- also gives us words like “grimoire,” “autograph,” and “calligraphy,” all tied to writing as a kind of power.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
GR
dígraphos
“two-written; written with two letters”
Late Greek
GR
digraphos
“having two letters or written twice”
Late Latin
LA
digraphus
“a term formed from Greek, used in learned writing”
16th–17th Century
English
digraph
“a combination of two letters or symbols”
Modern English
EN
digraph
“a pair of letters or characters representing one sound”