How to Know When to Use tch and ch: Phonics Rules for Teachers Episode 17

Teaching students when to use ch or tch can seem tricky. Is there a simple, clear phonics rule? Today we'll look at how to know when to use tch vs ch and how to teach this to your students.

With 10 years of classroom experience, former teacher Martha Moore hosts the Phonics Rules for Teachers Podcast. Drawing from her personal journey, she shares insights on transitioning from traditional teaching methods to a phonics-centered approach and the impact it has on students' reading and writing.

Each week , Martha shares a simple phonics rule, strategy, or background information and how you can teach it in your classroom.

You can find the How the Heck to Teach 'Em supplementary resource to go along with this series here: https://www.myprimaryparadise.com/shop/phonics-rules-resources/

Transcript

Teaching students when to use "CH" or "TCH" might seem a bit tricky, but there's actually generally a pretty simple rule that we can follow. Let's take a look together.

Welcome to episode 17 of *Phonics Rules for Teachers and How the Heck to Teach Them*. I'm Martha, and today we're going to take a look at "CH" versus "TCH" at the end of a syllable and how we can teach our students which one to use and when.

In English, we spell the "CH" sound with either "CH" or "TCH". Sometimes we also spell this sound with a "U" following a "T", such as in "century" or "virtue", but this spelling is less common and something we don't need to teach until a little bit further down the line. When we hear "CH" at the beginning of a word or syllable, that is spelled with "CH". However, when we hear "CH" at the end of a syllable, it can be spelled with both "CH" and "TCH".

So how do you know which one to use and when? Here's how to know when to use "CH" at the end of a syllable. Typically, when the "CH" sound is preceded by a consonant, a vowel team, or an R-controlled vowel, we spell that with "CH". Some examples are "crunch", "church", "reach", and "pooch".

Here's how to know when to spell "CH" with "TCH" at the end of a syllable. Typically, when the "CH" sound is preceded by a single short vowel letter, we spell it with a "TCH" at the end of a syllable. Some examples are "pitch", "fetch", "kitchen", "itch", "snatch", and "ditch". However, there are some exceptions where we spell the "CH" sound after a single short vowel with "CH". Some examples are "such", "much", "rich", "which", and "witch".

But let's take a look at some numbers. There are 382 words in the English language where "CH" is spelled with a "CH" as expected at the beginning of a syllable and at the end of a syllable preceded by anything besides a single short vowel. 63 words in English have "TCH" spelling "CH" at the end of a syllable as expected as well. There are nine words in the English language that spell "CH" with a "CH" after a single short vowel at the end of a syllable. Those words are "which", "much", "such", "rich", "attach", "detach", "bachelor", "duchess", and "stomach".

Here's the great thing about teaching students these rules that generally govern the English language: when they do come across exceptions, they have a handful of words to spend a little bit more time learning. They don't need to memorize hundreds and hundreds of words. They can learn the rules and understand that this is usually or typically how the spelling pattern works in the English language. Then, they can spend a little extra time on those words that don't fit the typical rule. This is where understanding morphology, or where words come from, and having a strong background knowledge can make a big difference as well, but that's a conversation for another day.

So now that you understand when to use "CH" and "TCH" at the end of a syllable, let's take a look at how you can introduce this to your students. I like to use the "each it" prompt. First, review the digraph "CH" and talk about the sound it spells: "CH". Have students think of some words with that sound. As they say words, write them up on the board. Inevitably, or maybe with some guidance from you, a word with a "TCH" spelling pattern will come up. When that happens, make a new column, and once you have a few "TCH" words, ask students if they notice anything about the words that end with "CH" and the words that end with "TCH". Your students might notice the pattern on their own if they're used to looking closely at the spelling patterns in words. If not, you can explain it to them.

Typically, the "CH" sound is spelled with a "TCH" if it's preceded by a single short vowel, and we use "CH" every other time if it is preceded by a consonant, a vowel team, or an R-controlled vowel. You can then share the "each it" visual to help them remember. I like to use the keywords "each" and "itch", and I tell them, "My dog Peach will scratch each itch." I highlight the "EA" before "CH" and the single "I" before "TCH" in "itch". I give them some examples, and we can even scratch like we have an itch: "each itch, each itch."

Just like any new spelling pattern, you can use some of those tried-and-true tricks to practice with your students, such as word sorts, using decodable text, word mapping, hunting for these spelling patterns in books, and more. While it might seem complicated at first to teach "TCH" versus "CH", it really comes down to understanding the vowels and the spelling patterns, and then practicing it together and giving your students a chance to look at it in context. Once students know what they're looking for, they're going to be pros at reading and writing "CH" and "TCH" words.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop them below, and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode of *Phonics Rules for Teachers and How the Heck to Teach Them*. See you next time!

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