The digraph ch has three distinct sounds:
1. The most usual is the way it is pronounced in words like: chair, check, chicken, chop, chuckle, church, choose, chips, cheek, change, chocolate, much, such, rich
2. However, in words taken into English from Greek ch- sounds like k: character chemist, chorus, Christmas, mechanic, ache, school, scheme, architect, bronchitis
3. The third group, drawn from French, if written as it sounds, would be a combination of S and H as in machine (ma-sheen). In words taken into English from French, ch- sounds like sh: chef, chauffeur, chaperone, chic, champagne, machine, moustache, parachute.
WHICH SOUND TO INTRODUCE WHEN
It’s a good idea to introduce the first one first i.e the one in chair ( ). Gradually, as the reading level of your little one increases and you expose you little reader to new and more words, you may introduce the other two.
HOW TO INTRODUCE Print the word lists in diferent colour (one colour for each sound hence 3 colours), cut into single words. Place all the words face up on the table and ask your little one/student to select and pronounce a word. After a while children realize that the colour of the word is a guide to pronunciation (it also helps many to remember the pronunciation).
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