Lessons Unit 3, lesson 19
tʃ + vowels
The tʃ beginning opening into every vowel it starts words with. Get the mouth ready for tʃ, release straight into the vowel — no gap, no extra sound between them.
What do the marks mean?
Want the full walkthrough? Read the map explains every mark, with practice.
tʃthe ch in chair
A quick t that releases straight into sh: ch. One sound, even though it's written with two letters.
tʃ + every vowel
One row per combination. Tap any word to hear it — every sheet comes straight from the tool.
| tʃ æ | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| tʃ ɪ | |||
| tʃ ɛ | |||
| tʃ ʌ | |||
| tʃ ɑ | |||
| tʃ iː | |||
| tʃ eɪ | |||
| tʃ aɪ | |||
| tʃ oʊ |
One sound, not two
Ch is a single fused sound — a quick t immediately followed by sh — even though it's written with two letters. Say chat, chip, and check slowly and make sure you don't leave a gap between the t-part and the sh-part; they should feel like one release, not two.
Learners who speak a language without this fused sound often split it in half without noticing, so it's worth recording yourself saying chest and listening back for a single clean burst rather than two separate ones.
Keeping the timing tight
Child and china use the same tight affricate before aɪ, and chose and choke do it before oʊ — in both cases the lips are already shaping the vowel while the tongue finishes the release.
Read a column aloud, then say it again more slowly, checking that ch never splits into a separate t sound followed by a pause before the sh.