The ch spelling: /k/ sound (Greek origin) and /ʃ/ sound (French origin)
Year group: 3/4
Source: DfE, English Appendix 1: Spelling, National Curriculum for England (2013) — Years 3–4, Other spellings
Curriculum requirement: Statutory
Purpose: Years 3–4 guide to ch spelling /k/ (Greek origin) and /ʃ/ (French origin) — why English has these patterns and statutory word examples.
The rule
The letters ch usually make the /tʃ/ sound (chocolate, chair, child). But in words borrowed from Greek and French, ch makes a different sound.
From Greek: ch makes the /k/ sound
chemist, chorus, character, scheme, echo
From French: ch makes the /ʃ/ sound ("sh")
chef, chalet, machine, brochure, champagne
This is not a rule to memorise word by word — it is a pattern to understand. Once children know why these words have an unusual ch sound, they remember the spellings far more reliably.
Why etymology makes this make sense
English spelling reflects word history. When a word was borrowed, its spelling came with it.
Greek words entered English through Latin and then through academic, scientific, and religious writing. Greek used the letter chi (χ) which was transliterated as ch in Latin, even though it made a /k/ sound. So every word of Greek origin with ch makes the /k/ sound.
French words entered English after the Norman Conquest (1066). In French, the letters ch make the /ʃ/ sound (as in modern French château, chef). Words that came from French kept their French spelling, including the ch = /ʃ/ pattern.
This gives children a powerful memory hook:
- Sounds like /k/? Think science, school, ancient knowledge → Greek
- Sounds like /ʃ/ and feels glamorous or culinary? → French
Greek ch = /k/ examples
(† = statutory Y3/4 word)
| Word | Connection |
|---|---|
| character † | Greek kharaktēr — a mark or feature |
| scheme † | Greek skhēma — a plan or shape |
| echo | Greek ēkhō — a sound bouncing back |
| chemist / chemistry | Greek khēmeia — the study of matter |
| chorus | Greek khoros — a group of singers |
| school | Greek skholē — leisure; a place of learning |
| ache | Old English/Greek akhos — pain |
| orchestra | Greek orkhēstra — dancing floor |
| archive | Greek arkheion — public records |
| monarch | Greek monarkhos — sole ruler |
| technology | Greek tekhnologia — systematic skill |
| stomach | Greek stomakhos |
| anchor | Greek ankura |
Pattern note: Many Greek ch words relate to science, music, politics, or medicine — the subjects where Greek vocabulary was adopted into English through academic tradition.
French ch = /ʃ/ examples
| Word | Connection |
|---|---|
| chef | French — a head cook |
| chalet | French — a mountain house |
| machine | French, from Latin machina |
| brochure | French brochure — a stitched pamphlet |
| champagne | French — the region and the drink |
| chauffeur | French — a driver |
| chandelier | French — a branching candleholder |
| parachute | French para- (against) + chute (fall) |
| crochet | French — a type of needlework |
| cache | French — a hiding place |
| niche | French — a hollow or specialised position |
| moustache | French, from Italian |
Pattern note: Many French ch words relate to food, fashion, luxury goods, or places — reflecting the French-speaking Norman ruling class who brought these concepts into English after 1066.
The three sounds of ch — summary table
| Sound | Examples | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| /tʃ/ (the "normal" ch) | child, church, chin, watch | Old English |
| /k/ | chorus, chemistry, school | Greek |
| /ʃ/ ("sh") | chef, machine, brochure | French |
Common mistakes and why they happen
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| kemist | chemist | ch from Greek makes /k/ |
| karacter | character | ch from Greek makes /k/ |
| shef | chef | ch from French makes /ʃ/ |
| masheen | machine | ch from French makes /ʃ/ |
| skeme | scheme | ch from Greek makes /k/ |
| ecko | echo | ch from Greek makes /k/ |
Word sort activity
Listen to each word. Sort by the sound the ch makes.
Words: character · chef · chorus · machine · chemist · chalet · echo · scheme · brochure · school · anchor · stomach · champagne · orchestra
| ch makes /k/ (Greek) | ch makes /ʃ/ (French) | ch makes /tʃ/ (familiar) |
|---|---|---|
Extension challenge: Look up one word from each column. What was it originally used to mean?
Classroom activity: The Word Detective
Tell children they are detectives investigating the origins of words. Present these three word families and ask:
"All these words have ch. Say them aloud. What do you notice? Can you sort them by sound and then guess which language they came from?"
Set A: chemistry · chorus · character · school
Set B: chef · chauffeur · machine · brochure
Set C: children · church · chicken · cheese
Discuss: what subjects or topics do the Greek words relate to? What about the French words?
Dictation sentences (teacher-ready)
- The character in the story showed great bravery throughout the scheme.
- The chemist measured each ingredient carefully before the experiment.
- The whole chorus sang together, their voices creating a perfect echo.
- The chef prepared a meal using a machine that no one had seen before.
- She picked up the brochure and read about the mountain chalet.
Classroom questions
- Chemistry, chorus, and character all start with ch but sound like /k/. Where did they come from?
- Chef and machine sound like they start with "sh." What language brought these words into English?
- Can you think of a science word that has ch making the /k/ sound?
- The word school comes from the Greek skholē, meaning "leisure." Why do you think a place of learning was connected to leisure in ancient Greece?
- Stomach and anchor also have Greek ch making /k/. Can you say them and hear the /k/?
Links to other rules
- Y3/4 rule 07: -gue and -que endings — another set of French-borrowed spellings with "silent" letters
- General etymology work (Y5/6) — deepen understanding of Latin/Greek/French origins across all spelling patterns
Source: DfE English Appendix 1: Spelling (2013). Etymology references verified against Oxford English Dictionary and standard etymological sources. All statutory word examples verified against the published statutory word lists for Years 3–4.