In my classes this week I’ve been teaching students the difference between the sh sound and the ch sound. I have found that many of my students use the ch sound when they should use the sh sound.
That means that when students try to say shopping it sounds like they are saying chopping.
When they try to say ship it sounds like chip.
When they try to say share it sounds like chair.
Here are a couple of tips you can use to articulate these sounds correctly:
1. When you say the sh sound don’t let your tongue touch the roof of your mouth. The air should pass freely around your tongue. Round your lips to make this sound.
Here are some words with the sh sound: show, washing, cash.
2. When you say the ch sound you tongue touches the roof of your mouth and briefly stops the air.
Here are some words with the ch sound: chair, teacher, much.
Try to pronounce the following short dialog using the correct sounds of sh & ch.
Shopper: How much is the chicken?
Clerk: The chicken is on sale. It’s really cheap. Will that be cash or charge?
Shopper: I’ll have to charge it. I don’t have any cash.
Tags: American English Consonant Sounds, American English Pronunciation, ch sound, sh sound
