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  3.2.5 The sound ch

Actually these two letters form one sound in two different sounds, the more and the less guttural. The more guttural sound is used seldom in English, but there is for instance the famous Loch Ness and The sound for the ch in Loch is exactly what we're looking for.

  More guttural

Kachel tile
Bach stream
sachte soft


Well, and then there is the less guttural and there is nothing that it can be compared. Try this: take The sound of sh (like in shiver) and move the corners of your mouth outwards. You'll get a hissing sound and it should sound like the following examples.

  Less guttural

ich I
Gicht gout
sichten to sight


Ok, the rule is:
after a, o, u, au, the combination of ch has the more guttural sound.
a fter äu, e, ei, eu, i, ie, ö the ch has the less guttural sound.

  The Swiss version of The sound ch


Actually the Swiss only use the first version of The sound ch. In Germany you can hear a difference between the two sounds, the Swiss don't use it. Let's have a look at these differences.

  In the first case there is no difference between standard German and Schwizerdütsch

Both pronounce the sound quite the same.

Swiss version     German version   translation
Sache Sache thing
Rachen Rachen throat

  The second sound is different in standard German and Schwizerdütsch

Do you hear e the difference?

Swiss version      German version   translation
Ich Ich I






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