What are the sounds formed by two letters in a digraph considered?

In phonics, a digraph consists of two letters that come together to create a single sound. This can occur with either consonants or vowels. For example, in the digraph "sh," both letters work together to produce one specific sound that is distinct from the individual sounds of 's' and 'h'. Therefore, identifying the sounds formed by two letters in a digraph as a single sound captures the essence of how digraphs function in language.

While standalone sounds, combinations of consonant and vowel sounds, and diverse sounds from different languages all have their significance in phonetics, they do not accurately describe the nature of a digraph. A digraph specifically integrates two letters into one sound, distinguishing it from other phonetic constructs.