FREE LISTENING WORKSHEET · APG

The three sounds of ch in English

Listen, notice one detail, and say the word in a phrase.

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Videos and full notes: https://ipronounce.io/guides/ch-pronunciation

Name: ________________________　 Date: __________________

This lesson’s listening targets

Recognize /tʃ/, /k/, and /ʃ/ without relying on the spelling alone.

/tʃ/ as in chair. Listen for the brief stop followed by the sh-like release. The ch sound can begin a word or close its last syllable.
/k/ as in key. Chemistry, chaos, choir, and architect spell the k sound with ch. Choir adds a w sound immediately afterward.
/ʃ/ as in she. Begin the sound with a continuous flow of air. Compare the opening of chivalry with the consonant in the middle of brochure.

A five-word listening round

Choose five words below. Open each linked word and play its APG video.
Write one sound observation: the strongest syllable, a silent letter, a consonant connection, or a variant you hear.
Say the original practice phrase, then write and say your own sentence.
Read the word’s listening note and compare it with your observation. Repeat any word you want to revisit.

Your listening record — choose five, then return for another round
Word & video	Practice phrase	What I hear / my sentence
chocolate	A piece of chocolate.
chia	She sprinkled chia seeds over the yogurt.
arch	We walked beneath the stone arch.
scratch	The branch left a scratch on the door.
chemistry	We met in chemistry class.
chaos	The sudden announcement caused chaos.
choir	She sings in the choir.
architect	The architect explained the design.
charcuterie	A charcuterie board.
chivalry	The novel offers a playful account of medieval chivalry.
chicanery	The investigation exposed years of financial chicanery.
brochure	The brochure describes the exhibition.

Test your pronunciation knowledge

Choose one answer for each question. The answer key includes explanations and source links.

Which sound begins “chemistry”?
1. /tʃ/, as in chair
2. /k/, as in key
3. /ʃ/, as in she
What changes when you compare the ch in arch with the ch in architect?
1. Arch uses /tʃ/; architect uses /k/.
2. Arch uses /k/; architect uses /tʃ/.
3. Both words use /ʃ/.
Which word starts with the same consonant as “chivalry”?
1. Chia
2. Chaos
3. Chicanery
Which consonant connection begins “choir”?
1. /kw/, as at the start of quick
2. /tʃ/, as at the start of chair
3. /ʃ/, as at the start of she
What sound does ch represent in “brochure”?
1. The /k/ of chemistry
2. The /ʃ/ of chivalry
3. The /tʃ/ of chocolate
What should remain at the end when you say scratch?
1. A k sound
2. A continuous sh sound only
3. The /tʃ/ sound of chair
Which description matches the beginning of “chia”?
1. Ch as in chair, then a long ee
2. Sh as in she, then a long eye
3. K as in key, then a short i
Which description fits “charcuterie” in American English?
1. Start with k and stress the final ee.
2. Start with sh and put the main beat on KOO.
3. Start with ch as in chair and stress the first syllable.

Show the answer key

Open this section before printing to include the answers.

B. /k/, as in key Chemistry begins /k/. Its ch spelling has the same sound as the ch in chaos, even though chocolate begins differently.
Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
A. Arch uses /tʃ/; architect uses /k/. Arch ends /tʃ/, the sound in chair. Architect uses /k/ after its first r. These two related-looking spellings show why ch must be checked word by word.
Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
C. Chicanery Chivalry and chicanery both begin /ʃ/, as in she. Chia begins /tʃ/, while chaos begins /k/.
Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
A. /kw/, as at the start of quick Choir begins /kw/: k followed immediately by w. The ch contributes the k sound, but saying only k would miss the following glide.
Source: Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
B. The /ʃ/ of chivalry The ch in “brochure” sounds like /ʃ/, as in she. It has the same consonant sound as the opening of chivalry, although it occurs inside the word.
Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
C. The /tʃ/ sound of chair Scratch ends /tʃ/, like arch. Keep that final consonant sound after the short a; there is no extra vowel after it.
Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
A. Ch as in chair, then a long ee “Chia” begins /tʃi/, like CHEE. A light uh follows, giving the two-syllable pronunciation CHEE-uh.
Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
B. Start with sh and put the main beat on KOO. “Charcuterie” begins /ʃ/, as in she, while the main stress falls on KOO. The opening sound and the strongest syllable are separate details to notice.
Source: Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Sources & reuse

The pronunciation notes are based on the dictionary sources linked from each word page. Practice phrases and exercises are original APG learning material, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Credit American Pronunciation Guide and keep the source links when adapting this worksheet. Videos and reference quotations retain their own terms.

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