/tʃ/ vs /ʃ/ minimal pairs
/tʃ/ is a voiceless postalveolar affricate; /ʃ/ is a voiceless postalveolar fricative. Phoneme has 8 word pairs to practice this contrast, each with native-speaker audio.
| /tʃ/ | /ʃ/ |
|---|---|
| chin | shin |
| cheap | sheep |
| watch | wash |
| chair | share |
| chop | shop |
| choose | shoes |
| chip | ship |
| catch | cash |
How to teach this contrast
- Listen and point. Play each word and have learners point to or repeat the symbol they hear.
- Say and check. Learners say one word from a pair; a partner (or you) identifies which one.
- Drill it. Use Phoneme's Train mode minimal-pair drill for randomized, self-checking practice.