/tʃ/ · typically mastered by age 4-6

CH Sound Games

Games, word lists, and practice guidance for the CH sound — everything on this page is built around ch sound practice specifically.

CH is a two-part sound — a stop followed by a release — and children often get one half right and the other wrong. Because it is so audible in words children use constantly, practice through play produces a large number of natural repetitions without contriving a word list.

Games for articulation practice

An honest note first: our arcade-style games are not filtered by target sound — they build articulation and speech clarity generally rather than drilling CH specifically. The sound-specific targeting lives in the practice tools, where you choose the sound and position, and in the CH word lists further down this page.

Where CH targeting actually happens

Inside an account, the pronunciation practice and flashcard activities draw from a word bank of 9,400+ words across 23 sounds, and you pick the sound and the position in the word. That is the part of the platform that practises CH as CH — the games above are what keep a child doing it for long enough to matter.

CH practice words

Real practice words, grouped by where the CH sound falls in the word. Most therapy starts at the beginning of a word and moves on once that is reliable.

CH at the beginning

Words that start with CH.

chairchalkchancechangechasecheapcheckcheesecherrychest

CH in the middle

Words with CH in the middle.

beach ballcatchercatchinghatchingkitchenketchuplunchesmarchingmatchingnature

CH at the end

Words with CH at the end.

beachbenchbranchcatchcoachcouchditcheachhatchinch

All CH word lists The CH sound guide

What to listen for

SH is the common substitution, producing "shair" for "chair": that is the stop portion going missing. T is the other, which is the release going missing. Naming which half is dropping out makes the correction much more targeted.

Common CH errors

Substituting /SH/ for /CH/ (e.g., "shair" for "chair")
Substituting /T/ for /CH/ (e.g., "tair" for "chair")
Substituting /TS/ for /CH/ (e.g., "tsair" for "chair")
Producing /CH/ without enough lip rounding
Making the sound too prolonged instead of a quick burst

How to run CH practice

Short and frequent beats long and occasional. Five to ten minutes on most days produces more correct CH productions over a fortnight than one long weekend session, and it is far easier to sustain.

Work in one position at a time. Get CH reliable at the beginning of words before moving to the middle and at the end — mixing all three from the start usually slows everything down.

Keep correction light. Model the word correctly and move on rather than asking for a repeat every time; a child who feels tested talks less, and less talking is the opposite of what CH practice needs.

Tips for the CH sound

Teach /CH/ as a "sneeze" sound — say "ah-CHOO!" to help your child feel the burst of air.
Break it down: practice /T/ and /SH/ separately first, then combine them faster and faster until they merge into /CH/.
Use the "train" cue: have your child pretend to be a train going "ch-ch-ch-ch" to practice the quick burst.
Hold a tissue in front of the mouth — when /CH/ is produced correctly, the tissue should puff forward with each burst.
Compare /SH/ and /CH/: hold /SH/ for 3 seconds ("shhhh"), then show that /CH/ is the same sound but as a quick pop.
Practice /CH/ in fun words kids love: "chocolate," "cheese," "chicken," "cherry," "champion."
Use hand signals: a slow sweeping motion for /SH/ and a quick chopping motion for /CH/ to reinforce the difference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there free games for practising the CH sound?

Yes. Every game on this site is free to play with a free account, and the CH word lists and sound guide are free to read without one. What the games do not do is filter by target sound — for that, the practice tools inside an account let you pick CH and the position in the word.

At what age should a child master the CH sound?

Most children master the /CH/ sound by age 4-6. It often develops after a child has acquired /T/ and /SH/ individually, since /CH/ is a combination of these two sounds. If your child is past that range and the sound has not settled, it is worth asking a speech-language pathologist rather than waiting longer.

What are the most common CH errors?

Substituting /SH/ for /CH/ (e.g., "shair" for "chair") Substituting /T/ for /CH/ (e.g., "tair" for "chair") Substituting /TS/ for /CH/ (e.g., "tsair" for "chair") Our CH sound guide covers each of these in more detail.

Which CH words should we start with?

Start at the beginning of words — chair, chalk, chance, change, chase — and only move to the middle and at the end once the first position is reliable. The full lists are on our CH word lists page.

How long does it take to fix a CH sound?

It varies far more than most families expect, and depends on the child's age, how established the error is, and how much correct practice happens between sessions. The one factor you control is the volume of correct repetitions per week, which is why practice at home moves the timeline more than anything else.

Keep Exploring

CH sound guide

How the CH sound is made, and how it develops.

CH word lists

Full CH word lists by position.

CH at the start of words

Practice words with CH in the initial position.

SH sound games

Often practised alongside CH.

J sound games

Often practised alongside CH.

All speech sound games

Every sound with a games page.

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