Minimal Pair /tʃ/ and /ʃ/
as in chair and share
Below are lists of words that vary only by one having the sound /tʃ/ and the other the sound /ʃ/ in the same position.
You can use this list to practise the sounds, or as a list of words to be careful in pronouncing.
Both of these sounds are produced without use of the voice and with the air released being important. With /tʃ/ the air is released suddenly like a sneeze, making it almost impossible to extended the sound for any length of time. In contrast, you can extended /ʃ/ virtually as long as you like, as people do when they really want someone to be quiet.
Elementary
chair share
choose shoes
chop shop
which wish
Pre-Intermediate
catch cash
cheap sheep
cheese she’s
chew shoe
March marsh
watch wash
Intermediate
cheat sheet
cherry sherry
chip ship
chose shows
ditch dish
match mash
switch swish
Upper-Intermediate
cheek chic
cheers shears
chin shin
chock shock
chore shore
hatch hash
itch ish
witch wish
Advanced
batch bash
butch bush
charred shard
cheep sheep
cheer sheer
chill shill
chucks shucks
crutch crush
hutch hush
latch lash
leach leash
natch gnash
notch nosh
