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LISTEN |
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/tʃ/.../tʃ/.../tʃ/.../tʃ/...
choose...match...marching...lunch... |
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WHAT IS IT? |
Pronunciation:
The sound /tʃ/ is a voiceless, alveo-palatal, affricate consonant.
The sound /tʃ/ can be in these consonant clusters:
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:
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Beginning of a Syllable
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End of a Syllable
<
>
(none)
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/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
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COMPARE |
Compare /tʃ/ with /ʃ/.
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/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.
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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 below.
Now compare /tʃ/ and /t/:
Now compare /tʃ/ and /t/:
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/tʃ/…/t/…/tʃ/…/t/…/tʃ/…/t/…
The sounds /tʃ/ and /t/ are both voiceless consonants pronounced near the alveolar ridge. However, /tʃ/ is a alveo-palatal affricate while /t/ is an alveolar stop. The sound /tʃ/ has some air released. |
You can hear the difference between /tʃ/ and /t/ in these words.
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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 below
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PRACTICE |
Listen and repeat these words:

words_with_-ch-.mp3 | |
File Size: | 580 kb |
File Type: | mp3 |
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.
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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:
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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.
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.
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- 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.
©2018-2021, Christine Wingate

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