CH Words for Kids: Lists, Rules and Practice Ideas
CH words are words with the letters c and h together, making one quick sound, /ch/, like the “choo-choo” of a train. You hear it in words like chip, cheese, lunch and catch. CH can come at the beginning, middle or end of a word.
This guide has 120+ CH words for kids sorted by position, the easy CH vs TCH spelling rule, sentences, teaching steps and games. CH is one of the first digraphs kids learn, so if your child has just learned the quiet SH sound, our SH words list is a great partner for this page.
What Are CH Words?
CH words are any words with the ch spelling pattern. The C and H team up to make one new sound. You do not hear a /k/ or an /h/ in chip, you hear a brand-new sound, /ch/.
Children usually learn CH in kindergarten or first grade, right after CVC words. Short words like chip, chop and much have only three sounds, so they are easy to sound out once kids know that “ch” works as one chunk.
Is CH a Digraph or a Blend?
CH is a consonant digraph. In a blend, like cl in clap, you can hear both letters. In CH, the letters make one sound together, so it is a digraph, just like SH, TH and WH.
How Do You Say the CH Sound?
- Tongue: the tip of the tongue presses up just behind the top teeth.
- Lips: the lips push forward a little, like for SH.
- Air: the air builds up, then pops out in one short burst, like a little sneeze.
- Voice: there is no buzz in the throat. CH is an unvoiced sound.
The big difference from SH is that you cannot stretch CH. Try it: you can say “shhhhh” for a long time, but “ch” stops right away. Kids love the train action: pull an imaginary train whistle every time they say /ch/.
CH Words at the Beginning
These words start with the CH sound. They are the best place to start, because the sound comes first.
| chat | chap | chip | chin | chop |
| chug | chum | chess | check | chick |
| chill | champ | chimp | chest | chunk |
| chair | chalk | chain | chart | charm |
| cheap | cheek | cheer | cheese | cherry |
| chew | child | chili | chime | chirp |
| choke | chore | chose | church | churn |
| chuckle | chocolate | chicken | children | chapter |
| cheetah |
CH Words in the Middle
Here the CH sound is in the middle of the word. Many are longer words with endings like -ing or -es, or compound words like lunchbox.
| kitchen | teacher | ketchup | lunchbox | peaches |
| beaches | matches | inches | catcher | pitcher |
| butcher | marching | reaching | teaching | watching |
| munching | crunchy | pinching | itchy | witches |
| branches | lunches | armchair | highchair | sandwiches |
CH Words at the End
Words can end in -ch or -tch. Both make the same /ch/ sound. The next section explains which spelling to use.
Words Ending in CH
| much | such | rich | which | lunch |
| bunch | munch | punch | crunch | bench |
| pinch | inch | finch | peach | beach |
| teach | reach | each | coach | roach |
| couch | pouch | ouch | porch | march |
| torch | branch | ranch | sandwich | ostrich |
| speech |
Words Ending in TCH
| catch | match | patch | latch | batch |
| hatch | scratch | fetch | sketch | stretch |
| itch | pitch | ditch | witch | switch |
| stitch | twitch | notch | blotch | hutch |
| clutch | crutch | watch |
CH vs TCH: The Easy Spelling Rule
This is the question parents and teachers ask most about CH words. Here is the simple rule kids can learn:
- Use TCH right after a short vowel in a one-syllable word: catch, fetch, itch, notch, hutch.
- Use CH after a consonant: lunch, bench, pinch, march, porch.
- Use CH after a vowel team or long vowel: peach, beach, coach, couch, speech.
- Use CH at the beginning of a word. TCH never starts a word.
A handy way to say it to kids: “The T is a helper. It only comes when a short vowel is right next door.”
Tricky Words That Break the Rule
A few common words have a short vowel but still use CH: much, such, rich, which, touch and sandwich. Teach these as “rule breakers” and practice them like sight words.
| Short vowel + TCH | Consonant + CH | Vowel team + CH | Rule breakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| catch | lunch | peach | much |
| fetch | bench | beach | such |
| itch | pinch | coach | rich |
| notch | march | couch | which |
| hutch | porch | speech | touch |
Other Sounds CH Can Make
Most of the time CH says /ch/, but older kids will meet two other sounds. Mention these only after the main sound is strong:
- CH says /k/: school, Christmas, chorus, echo, anchor, stomach. Many of these words come from Greek.
- CH says /sh/: chef, machine, parachute, Chicago. Many of these words come from French.
Easy CH Words for Kindergarten
For kindergarten, choose short words with one short vowel and three sounds:
- Short a: chat, chap, catch, match, patch
- Short e: chess, check, fetch
- Short i: chip, chin, chick, rich, itch
- Short o: chop, notch
- Short u: chug, chum, much, such, lunch
These pair well with our CVC words list, since kids simply swap one letter for the CH chunk.
CH Words for First Grade and Up
- With blends: crunch, branch, scratch, stretch, champ, chimp
- Long vowels: cheese, chair, cheek, chain, peach, beach, coach
- Two syllables: kitchen, teacher, ketchup, cherry, chicken, children
- Compound words: lunchbox, armchair, highchair, sandwich
CH Words in Sentences
Short CH Phrases
- a hot lunch
- a big chair
- chips and cheese
- catch the ball
- a red cherry
- on the beach
- check the clock
- a little chick
CH Sentences for Kids
- The chick is on the chair.
- I had a cheese sandwich for lunch.
- Can you catch the ball?
- The children ran to the beach.
- Chop the peach in the kitchen.
- My teacher has a red watch.
- The cat sat on the porch to scratch.
- We had so much fun at the church picnic.
CH Tongue Twister
“Cheerful children chew cheesy chips.” Say it slowly first, then faster.
SH vs CH: Helping Kids Hear the Difference
SH and CH are easy to mix up. The best test is to hold the sound. SH can be stretched (“shhhh”), but CH pops out and stops. Practice with minimal pairs, which are word pairs that change only one sound:
| SH word | CH word |
|---|---|
| ship | chip |
| shop | chop |
| share | chair |
| sheep | cheap |
| wash | watch |
| mash | match |
For the full SH sound guide and 120+ examples, see our SH words for kids. For the third early digraph, try our TH words list.
How to Teach CH Words Step by Step
Step 1: Introduce the Sound With the Train
Say “ch-ch-ch” like a train and pull a pretend whistle. Tell your child that C and H stand together to make this one quick sound.
Step 2: Listen First
Say words and have your child give a thumbs up for /ch/: chip, ship, chin, cat, lunch, sun. Mix in SH words so they learn to hear the difference.
Step 3: Read Short CH Words
Start with chip, chop, chin and much. Have your child tap one finger per sound: /ch/ /i/ /p/. Three sounds, three taps.
Step 4: Sort CH and TCH
Write ending CH and TCH words on cards. Kids sort them and look for the pattern: is there a short vowel right before the sound?
Step 5: Spell and Write
Say a word and have your child write it, checking the CH vs TCH rule. For handwriting practice, type CH words into our free letter tracing worksheet maker.
Fun CH Word Games and Activities
- Choo-Choo Train: line up chairs as a train. Kids read a CH word card to “buy a ticket” and get on.
- Chip or Ship?: say a word and kids point to a chip picture for CH or a ship picture for SH.
- Cheese Hunt: hide paper cheese slices with CH words around the room. Kids read each one they find.
- CH Word Search: make a puzzle with CH words using our free word search maker.
- Catch and Read: write CH words on a soft ball. When your child catches it, they read the word under their thumb.
- Kitchen Hunt: look for CH things in the kitchen, such as a chair, cheese, chips, a peach and a lunchbox.
A 5-Day CH Practice Plan
| Day | Focus | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Hear the sound | Train action and listening thumbs up |
| Tuesday | Beginning CH | Read chip, chop, chin, chat, check |
| Wednesday | Ending CH | Read lunch, much, bench, peach, beach |
| Thursday | CH vs TCH | Sort ending cards and find the rule |
| Friday | SH vs CH | Chip or Ship? game, then write 5 CH words |
From My Classroom
In my classroom, I taught children the sounds of SH, CH, and TCH using picture cards and familiar words. I explained that SH makes the sound in ship, CH makes the sound in chair, and TCH makes the sound in match. I asked children to repeat each sound, identify the pictures, and say the words aloud. This fun, hands-on activity helped them recognize letter patterns, improve pronunciation, and read simple words with greater confidence.
My tip for parents: don’t teach the spelling rule until your child can read CH words easily. Reading comes first, spelling rules come after.
Common CH Mistakes and Quick Fixes
| Mistake | What it looks or sounds like | Quick fix |
|---|---|---|
| Mixing CH and SH | “ship” for chip | Hold-the-sound test and minimal pairs |
| Reading C and H separately | “k-h-ip” | Underline CH as one chunk before reading |
| Writing CH instead of TCH | “cach” for catch | Check for a short vowel right before the sound |
| Writing TCH after a consonant | “luntch” for lunch | Remember: no T after a consonant |
| Adding -s instead of -es | “lunchs”, “catchs” | Words ending in CH or TCH add -es |
Frequently Asked Questions About CH Words
What are 10 CH words for kids?
Ten easy CH words for kids are chip, chin, chop, chair, cheese, chick, lunch, much, peach and catch.
When do you use CH or TCH?
Use TCH right after a short vowel in a one-syllable word, like catch and itch. Use CH after a consonant (lunch), after a vowel team (peach) and at the start of words (chip). Much, such, rich and which are exceptions.
Is CH a digraph or a blend?
CH is a digraph. The letters C and H make one new sound together, /ch/, so you cannot hear each letter on its own.
What grade learns CH words?
Most children learn CH words in kindergarten or first grade, along with SH and TH. The CH vs TCH spelling rule is usually taught in first or second grade.
What words have CH at the end?
Common CH ending words are much, such, lunch, bench, peach, beach, coach, catch, match and watch.
Why does CH sound like K in some words?
In words like school and chorus, CH says /k/ because the words come from Greek. In words like chef, it says /sh/ because they come from French.
Final Thoughts
CH words are fun to teach because the sound is short, loud and easy to act out. Start with the train sound, read short words like chip and lunch, then add the CH vs TCH rule once reading feels easy. A few minutes of practice a day is enough.
Keep building digraph skills with our SH words and TH words lists, review the full digraphs guide, or print practice pages with our free letter tracing tool. For extra lesson ideas, see the Reading Universe consonant digraph lessons.
