Some English language learners, especially native Thai and Spanish speakers, have a hard time distinguishing the “sh” [ʃ] and “ch” [tʃ] sounds in English. The sounds are very similar, but they are definitely not the same to a native English speaker. To produce the “sh” [ʃ] and “ch” [tʃ] sounds,
Your lips round a bit, halfway into pucker
Your top and bottom teeth get close to each other
What’s Different | “sh” [ʃ] vs.”ch” [tʃ]
When you produce the “sh” [ʃ] sound, see how long you can hold it for. Here, I’ll hold it for about 5 seconds.
“sh” [ʃ] (1…2…3…4…5)
Now, try to hold the “ch” [tʃ] sound for that same 5 seconds.
“ch” [tʃ] (1…)
Did you hear that? You can’t hold the “ch” [tʃ] sound after you produce it once. And therein lies the difference between the two sounds.
“sh” [ʃ] –> requires a flow of air through your teeth, which allows you to hold the sound for a long time. (This is probably why the sound is used as a way to say “be quiet” in English).
“sh” [ʃ]
“ch” [tʃ] –> is produced with one strong puff of air through the teeth which is then stopped.
“ch” [tʃ]