Ch (digraph)

Latin_digraph_C_H

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Pronunciation_of_CH_in_Europe

Ch is a digraph in the Latin alphabet that is used in various languages. It is a combination of the letters C and H.

Usage in Different Languages

English

In English, the digraph "ch" typically represents the sound /tʃ/, as in the word "church." However, it can also represent the sound /k/, as in "chorus," or the sound /ʃ/, as in "machine."

Spanish

In Spanish, "ch" was traditionally considered a separate letter of the alphabet, coming after "c" and before "d." It represents the sound /tʃ/, as in "chico" (boy). However, in 1994, the Royal Spanish Academy decided to treat "ch" as a digraph rather than a separate letter.

French

In French, "ch" usually represents the sound /ʃ/, as in "château" (castle). In some words of Greek origin, it represents the sound /k/, as in "chorale."

German

In German, "ch" can represent different sounds depending on the context. After front vowels, it represents the sound /ç/, as in "ich" (I). After back vowels, it represents the sound /x/, as in "Bach."

Italian

In Italian, "ch" is used to represent the sound /k/ before the vowels "e" and "i," as in "che" (what) and "chi" (who).

Czech and Slovak

In Czech and Slovak, "ch" is considered a single letter and represents the sound /x/, as in "chata" (cottage).

Welsh

In Welsh, "ch" is also considered a single letter and represents the sound /χ/, as in "bach" (small).

Phonetic Representation

The digraph "ch" can represent a variety of sounds depending on the language and context. These sounds include:

• /tʃ/ as in English "church"
• /k/ as in English "chorus"
• /ʃ/ as in French "château"
• /ç/ as in German "ich"
• /x/ as in German "Bach"
• /χ/ as in Welsh "bach"

Related Pages

• Digraph (orthography)
• Trigraph (orthography)
• Phoneme
• Latin alphabet
• International Phonetic Alphabet