Quiz
French ch quiz: chat, orchestre or chimie?
Eight questions on French ch: learn the common /ʃ/ sound, check the /k/ in orchestre and technique, and sort the words with examples and pictures.
- A2
- 8 questions
- Every answer explained
- No account needed
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In short
French ch usually has /ʃ/, the “sh” sound: chat, chaise, bouche. Some words have /k/, including orchestre, chorale and technique. Learn these exceptions as whole words; chimie keeps /ʃ/ even though English “chemistry” starts with /k/.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learnRed watch out
| Common /ʃ/ words | Words with /k/ |
|---|---|
| chat /ʃa/ · cat | orchestre /ɔʁkɛstʁ/ · orchestra |
| chaise /ʃɛz/ · chair | chorale /kɔʁal/ · choir |
| bouche /buʃ/ · mouth | technique /tɛknik/ · technique |
| chimie /ʃimi/ · chemistry | chaos /kao/ · chaos |
Words to picture and say
Find:
For /ʃ/, air continues through a narrow gap, as in chat. For /k/, there is a brief closure at the back of the mouth, as in orchestre. Treat ch as a spelling unit: the written h is not a separate sound to add afterwards.
When is ch pronounced k in French?
Tu veux écouter la chorale samedi ?
Would you like to listen to the choir on Saturday?
Oui, et l’orchestre joue dimanche.
Yes, and the orchestra is playing on Sunday.
The two music words share /k/. The spelling ch connects them visually, but their vowels and endings are different. This quiz sorts spelling patterns word by word; the separate ch/j page compares two consonants in pairs such as chou/joue.