How to pronounce ch: How and When to Use in English
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How to pronounce ch
The letter combination ch is most commonly pronounced as “tch”:
chair ; Charles
touch ; kitchen
There are rarer cases in which ch in pronounced differently, such as:
- “k” pronunciation, as in:
school ; mechanic ; stomach ; Christmas
- “sh” pronunciation, mostly in words of French or Italian origin, as in:
machine ; pistachio ; moustache ; champagne
Note that, in this last case, the pronunciation corresponds to the letter combination sh, but the spelling is different.
chef vs she
brochure vs cash
Which word did you hear? Select the correct option.
→
→
→
Which word did you hear? Select the correct option.
→ chop 1
→ echo 2
→ champagne 3
You heard chop , which starts with the most common pronunciation of ch, just like Charles . Example: can you chop the onion, please?
In this clip you heard chop , not shop . While chop starts with ch- , shop starts with sh- like she . Example: I go to the cheese shop.
You heard echo . In this word, the ‑ch- letter combination in the middle is pronounced as “k”. While this a rare case, there are a few other words that behave in the same way, like chaos . Example: I can hear the echo of my voice in the mountains.
You heard echo , not and co. . Example: Timmy and co. are getting ready for a party.
You heard champagne , in which the letter combination ch is pronounced as “sh”. This happens rarely, mostly in words of French or Italian origin like chef and brochure . Example: on New Year's Eve, we have a champagne toast.
Here you heard champagne , not campaign . Campaign doesn't contain an h and the ca- at the start is pronounced exactly like in cabin . Example: the president's campaign was a failure.
Select the correct pronunciation of the word catch.
Catch is pronounced:
Select the correct pronunciation of the word catch.
Catch is pronounced:
You heard catch , which ends with the letter combination ‑ch pronounced as “tch” . Example: to win the game, you need to catch the ball.
In this clip you heard cat , not catch . Cat ends with the letter -t. Example: Garfield is a famous cat.
Here you heard cash , not catch . Cash ends with the letter combination -sh, which you can also hear in she . Example: can I pay in cash?
Select the correct pronunciation of the word chin.
Chin is pronounced:
Select the correct pronunciation of the word chin.
Chin is pronounced:
You heard chin , which starts with a ch- making the “tch” sound like chair . Example: you have ice-cream all over your chin.
Here you heard shin , not chin . Shin starts with sh- like she . Example: I hurt my shin. Note: there are only a few words that we spell with ch but pronounce with “sh”, like brochure .
You heard keen , not chin . Keen starts with the letter k- like Kate . Example: Jim is a keen swimmer. Note: in some rare cases, the letter combination ch can also be pronounced as “k”, as in mechanic .
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