Pronouncing CH in German

In German, the letter combination CH has different pronunciations. The pronunciation depends on which vowel comes before the CH. There are two main rules and two exceptions.

The Soft CH

The CH is pronounced softly when it comes after an I, E, or Ü. This sound is made at the front of the mouth, similar to a voiceless "ich" sound, as in "ich".

Examples of the soft CH:

• Ich
• sprechen
• Michael
• Milch
• Chemie - the chemistry
• China - the country China
• Küche - the room for cooking
• Lachen
• Sachen - the things

The Hard CH

The CH is pronounced hardly when it comes after what are called dark vowels, meaning after A, O, or U. This sound is made at the back of the mouth, similar to an "ach" sound.

Examples of the hard CH:

• machen
• Dach - the top of a house
• Geruch - the smell of something
• Loch - a hole
• Buch - a book to read
• Tuch - a piece of cloth
• Koch - a person who cooks
• doch
• hoch - not low
• rauchen

Exceptions for Pronouncing CH

There are two exceptions to these rules:

CH as K

In some words, especially those that come from Greek, the CH is pronounced like a K.

Examples:

• Chor - a group of singers
• Wachsen - to grow bigger
• Chronisch - long-lasting
• Charisma - a special appeal

CH as SCH

In words that come from foreign languages, such as Portuguese, French, or Italian, the CH is sometimes pronounced like SCH. This sound is similar to the German SCH.

Examples:

• Champignon - a mushroom
• Macho - a man who behaves very manfully
• Charlotte - a female first name or a type of potato
• Recherche - the investigation or search for information