What do vowel digraphs typically represent?

Vowel digraphs typically represent two vowel sounds combined to make a single sound. A vowel digraph consists of two vowels that work together to create a new phonetic value that is often different from the sound of the individual vowels. For instance, in words like "boat" or "team," the vowel digraphs "oa" and "ea" produce unique sounds rather than each vowel maintaining its original sound. This is essential to understand in the context of teaching reading and phonics, as recognizing how vowel digraphs function aids in decoding words and enhances literacy skills among learners.

The other options describe elements that do not accurately capture the essence of vowel digraphs: single vowels refer to individual vowel sounds, two consonants pertain to consonant clusters rather than vowel combinations, and three-letter clusters involve combinations of more than two letters, which do not align with the definition of a digraph.