//

consonant · voiceless

The CH Sound

as in church

How to make the // sound

Voiceless — no vocal cord vibration
voiced voiceless
  1. 1Start with a T…
  2. 2…and release straight into SH.
  3. 3One quick sound: "tch". Spelled ch, tch, t(ure), or t(ion) in "question".

⚠ The most common mistake

Softening to SH, so "chip" becomes "ship".

Especially tricky for speakers of: Spanish, French, Portuguese.

Train your ear: // vs /ʃ/

These two words differ by exactly one sound. Tap both — can you hear it?

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying church, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

Practice words with //

Tap the speaker to hear each word; tap the word for its full pronunciation page.

More consonants

See all 44 sounds of English →