CH Sound Worksheets: Free Printable CH Words by Position

✓ Reviewed against ASHA Practice Portal, ASHA Selected Phonological Patterns, Crowe & McLeod (2020)Evidence level BLast reviewed October 14, 2026Published October 14, 2026

Free CH sound worksheets: CH words at the beginning, middle, and end of words — printable as a worksheet, flashcards, or a coloring page by age band. Most children master CH by 4;0–4;11. Use them 3–5 minutes a day: you say the word with a crisp “t-sh” pop, your child repeats, you mark what you heard.

About the CH sound

CH is two actions in one: a “t” stop released into an “sh” stream of air, with the lips slightly rounded. Children often keep just one half of it, which is why the pair lists below are split by the half your child drops.

Start with initial CH, then medial, then final. ASHA describes treatment as carrying a sound from words into phrases, sentences, and conversation once it is reliable.¹

CH words by position (initial, medial, final)

CH practice words by word position.
Position	Words
Initial (CH at the start)	chair · cheese · chip · chin · chicken · chalk · cherry · chocolate · chew · children
Medial (CH in the middle)	teacher · kitchen · peaches · matches · pitcher · ketchup · lunchbox · butcher
Final (CH at the end)	watch · beach · peach · lunch · catch · couch · match · bench · sandwich · ostrich

CH practice words by word position.

CH phrases and sentences

Once CH is clear in single words, move up to these.
Level	Practice
Phrases	cheese chips · a choo-choo train · lunch box · catch the ball · a peach pie
Carrier sentence	“I chose the ___.” (chair, cherry, chicken)
Sentences	“Charlie chews cheesy chips.” · “The teacher has a watch.”
CH at the end	“We had lunch at the beach.” · “Catch the peach!”

Once CH is clear in single words, move up to these.

CH minimal pairs

Minimal pairs differ by one sound, so a swap changes the meaning — the contrast technique ASHA calls minimal oppositions.¹

Pairs for the two common CH patterns.
Swap you hear	Word pairs
SH for CH — deaffrication (“ship” for “chip”)	chip / ship · chop / shop · cheap / sheep · chair / share · watch / wash · catch / cash
T for CH — stopping (“tip” for “chip”)	chip / tip · chop / top · chew / two · chin / tin

Pairs for the two common CH patterns.²

Getting a clear CH before the worksheet

1Start from T: tongue tip up behind the top teeth, as if to say “t.” Hold it.
2Release into air with rounded lips: “t…shhh.”
3Speed up until the two snap together: “ch.” Make it a train: “ch-ch-ch.”
4Move into words: “chip,” “chew,” “cheese,” then the ends of words: “watch,” “peach.”

Then use the sheet a few minutes at a time, most days: in a randomized trial of 54 preschoolers, three sessions a week beat the same total amount spread over once-weekly sessions.⁴

CH practice games

Train ride: say “ch-ch-ch” as a toy train moves between CH pictures.
Say cheese: take pretend photos and say “cheese!” each time.
Kitchen hunt: chips, cheese, chicken, cherries — name them as you cook.
Choose or chew: hold up two pictures and let your child “choose” one to “chew.”

Play keeps the repetitions coming; ASHA’s suggestions for parents center on talking, reading, and playing with the sounds you want your child to hear.⁵

What to listen for

SH for CH (“ship” for “chip”) — the stop is missing (deaffrication).
T for CH (“tip” for “chip”) — the airflow is missing (stopping).
CH dropped at the end of words (“wa-” for “watch”).
Clear in words but not in sentences — normal; sentences are harder.

When a worksheet is the wrong tool

In US norms, CH is acquired at 4;0–4;11 at the 90% criterion. A CH worksheet suits a child around that age or older who can make CH at least some of the time.³

ASHA lists deaffrication (“ship” for “chip”) as usually gone by about 4, and stopping of CH (“top” for “chop”) by about 5. If these patterns persist past those ages, or affect J and SH as well, an SLP can help.²

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See an SLP if

CH is still consistently SH-like or T-like well past age 5; CH, J, and SH are all affected; your child is hard for unfamiliar adults to understand; or weeks of consistent practice show no change on your checklist.

ASHA ProFind lists certified speech-language pathologists.⁶

Print the CH worksheet

Pick CH in the generator, choose a position and an age band, and print a worksheet, flashcards, or a coloring page — no account needed. In SpeechStep, the same words can be practiced with listen-and-compare; an instant AI check is offered for R only.

Print CH worksheets

Choose CH, a position, and an age band — then print a worksheet, flashcards, or a coloring page.

Try it free →

Frequently asked questions

Should my child master SH before CH?＋

Often it helps. CH is a “t” released into an “sh,” so a child with a clear SH has half the sound already. If SH is not there yet, you can still shape CH from T — “t…sh,” faster until it snaps together — but many children find CH easier once SH is solid.

Which CH words should my child practice first?＋

Start with CH at the beginning of words — chair, cheese, chip — then the end (watch, beach) and the middle (teacher, kitchen). Final CH is often the hardest, so save it for once the start is solid.

At what age should a child say CH?＋

In Crowe & McLeod’s review of US children, CH was acquired at 4;0–4;11 at the 90% criterion; on average, all affricates (CH and J) were acquired by 4;11.

What is the difference between CH and SH?＋

They share the same airflow, but CH starts with a stop — a quick “t” pop — and SH does not. CH is a short burst (“ch-ch-ch, like a train”); SH is a long, steady “shhh.” Pairs like “chip / ship” help a child hear and feel the difference.