Ch words

Ch words like ‘chugga chugga choo choo’ are complex and many children have difficulty producing the /ch/ sound. Speech-language pathologists can assist in this articulation difficulty and children are expected to produce the /ch/ sound by age 5.

It isn’t easy for clients to visualize how others are making this sound. That can make it tricky for them to imitate accurately when pronouncing /ch/ words.

One common error children with speech sound disorders may make when attempting to produce the /ch/ sound is to apply the phonological process of deaffrication.

Deaffrication occurs when a client substitutes an affricate sound with a fricative consonant or a stop consonant. Here are some examples:

• The client says “sheep” for the /ch/ word cheap
• The client says “top” for the /ch/ word chop

This phonological process is typically eliminated by age 4 1/2 years and the child should be able to articulate /ch/ words.

When children have an /ch/ word articulation disorder, it can cause their speech to be hard for others to understand. According to recent research, a child’s speech should be 75% intelligible to others by age 5.

Are you working with a client who is at least 5 years old and having trouble producing the /ch/ sound? Luckily, some specialized exercises and techniques can help.

Here are some of the most effective and engaging activities for improving the articulation of the /ch/ sound. Use our /ch/ word list in order of complexity and our /ch/ word position to guide your in-office or teletherapy sessions as you target this complex sound.

Exercise #1: /t/ + /sh/ = /ch/

The /ch/ sound is made by combining two other phonemes – the /t/ sound and the /sh/ sound.

If your client can produce these two sounds, you can build off of that to help him or her produce the /ch/ sound.

Explain to the client how saying both the a /t/ and /sh/sounds at the same time makes the /ch/ sound. Model the /ch/ sound in isolation and a few target /ch/ words to help increase your client’s awareness of the sound. Ask him or her to listen for the /t/ and /sh/ sounds together.

Next, give your client some phrases for products that contain a word with the final /t/ sound, followed by a word with the initial /sh/ sound. Show your client how, if they say the words quickly, it will start to sound like a word with the /ch/ sound.

“Meet shoes” will sound like “Me choose”

Practicing other phrases like this can help elicit the /ch/ sound by having your client transition quickly between the /t/ and /sh/ sounds.

Exercise #2: Tongue Up…Quietly

Here’s another exercise for eliciting the /ch/ sound that builds off of its two-sound components.

Ask your client to position their tongue up, with the tongue tip touching the alveolar ridge. Sometimes putting a small amount of peanut butter on that spot can help the client find it a little easier.

While the tongue is up (where it would be when producing the /t/ sound), have the client make the /sh/ sound (which you can call the “quiet sound”). He or she should push the tongue away at the same time.

This should elicit a strong /ch/ sound.

Continue having your client practice the /ch/ sound in isolation in this manner until they no longer require as much prompting. Then, move on to the production of the sound in syllables.

Exercise #3: Choose to Use Associations

Associations of familiar sounds can help children articulate certain speech sounds.

/Ch/ has some fun ones.

“Achoo.” Have your client pretend to sneeze. Point out that the middle sound is /ch/. After saying “achoo” several times, see if your client can just make the /ch/ sound on its own.

“Choo choo” is another strong association that many children have with the /ch/ sound. During a training activity like building train tracks or playing a train-themed game, ask your client to make the “choo choo” sound for the train.

Are they stimulable for /ch/ when making these sounds? If so, try naming /ch/ as “the sneezing sound” or “the choo choo train sound”. That way, whenever you target it in your therapy sessions, he or she can remember to focus on those sound associations.

Using these fun sounds to elicit /ch/ can also help you determine a starting point for working on the /ch/ sound, and guide the direction of your therapy goals.

If the client is successful with the /ch/ in “achoo”, maybe he or she is more stimulable for the sound in the medial position of /ch/ words.

Does the child make an accurate /ch/ sound when saying “choo choo”? Consider targeting /ch/ in the initial position of syllables. A great /ch/ word is “ouch”. It might mean your client can next work towards making the /ch/ in the final position of syllables.