LISTEN

/tʃ/…/tʃ/…/tʃ/…/tʃ/

choose…match…marching…lunch

WHAT IS IT?

Pronunciation:
The sound /tʃ/ is a voiceless, alveo-palatal, affricate consonant.

Press the middle of your tongue between your alveolar ridge and your soft palate.
Quickly move your tongue downward while forcefully pushing air out.
The air in your mouth should stop before it is released. (It is like combining a /t/ with a /ʃ/.)
Your vocal cords should not vibrate.

The sound /tʃ/ can be in these consonant clusters:

BEGINNING OF A SYLLABLE

(none)

END OF A SYLLABLE

/rtʃ/ (“rch”) – porch
/rtʃt/ (“rched”) – marched
/ltʃ/ (“lch” ) – mulch
/ltʃt/ (“lched”) – filched
/ntʃ/ (“nch”) – ranch
/ntʃt/ (“nched”) – pinched

Spelling:

“ch” – change, march
“tch” – watch, kitchen,
“ce” – cello, concerto
“t (+u)” – culture, fortune
“t (+i)” – question, suggestion

COMPARE

Compare /tʃ/ with /ʃ/.

/tʃ/…/ʃ/…/tʃ/…/ʃ/…/tʃ/…/ʃ/

The sounds /tʃ/ and /ʃ/ are both voiceless, alveo-palatal consonants. However, /tʃ/ is an affricate while /ʃ/ is a fricative. When you pronounce /tʃ/, the air in your mouth should stop (like a /t/) before it is released (like a /ʃ/).

You can hear the difference between /tʃ/ and /ʃ/ in these words.

1. A. choose, B. shoes
2. A. chop, B. shop
3. A. which, B. wish
4. A. march, B. marsh
5. A. matching, B. mashing
6. A. leeches, B. leashes

Practice recognizing words with /tʃ/ and /ʃ/ by taking the quiz here (external site).

Now compare /tʃ/ and /t/:

/tʃ/…/t/…/tʃ/…/t/…/tʃ/…/t/

The sounds /tʃ/ and /t/ are both voiceless consonants that are pronounced near the alveolar ridge. However, /tʃ/ is a alveo-palatal affricate while /t/ is an alveolar stop. The sound /tʃ/ is pronounced with some air released.

You can hear the difference between /tʃ/ and /t/ in these words.

1. A. chime, B. time
2. A. chalk, B. talk
3. A. notch, B. not
4. A. porch, B. port
5. A. kitchen, B. kitten
6. A. hunching, B. hunting

Practice recognizing words with /tʃ/ and /t/ by taking the quiz here (external site).

PRACTICE

Listen and repeat these words:

1. chin
2. cheese
3. change
4. chopstick
5. chapter
6. chance
7. challenge
8. charger
9. match
10. teach

11. search
12. approach
13. lunch
14. church
15. feature
16. furniture
17. suggestion
18. fortunate
19. exchange
20. parchment

Now, practice /tʃ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.

1. teacher – research – speeches
Our teacher taught us how to do research for speeches.
2. matching – chopsticks – lunch
We need a pair of matching chopsticks for lunch.
3. chess – checkers – porch
Do you want to play chess or checkers on the porch?
4. search – attachment
Use the search bar to find the email with the attachment.
5. exchanged – WeChat – touch
The students exchanged WeChat information so they could stay in touch.
6. choose – cheaper – charger
You can choose a cheaper charger.

To practice with different varieties of English, choose another native English speaker by clicking one of the links below:

Male – US Midwest (St. Louis)

Male – US Midwest (Iowa)

Male – US Midwest

Female – US Northeast

Female – US Southeast

USE IT

Practice the task below. Then, record yourself completing that task. Give your recording to a teacher or an English-speaking friend for feedback.

Prepare:
Think about how you make choices in your life. Look at the list of choices, and decide which choices are easy to make, and which choices are hard to make.

Choosing what to eat for lunch
Choosing your favorite teacher
Choosing a topic for a research paper
Choosing furniture for your house or apartment
Choosing a church, mosque, or other religious community to join
Choosing to change your major or career
Choosing jewelry or accessories that match your outfit
Choosing pictures to decorate a room

Record:
In your recording, explain 1 choice that is easy for you to make and 1 choice that is hard for you to make. Describe the process of making each choice.

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