The sound /ʃ/ voiced, alveo-palatal, fricative consonant

  • Lightly press the middle of your tongue between your alveolar ridge and your soft palate. The sides of your tongue should lightly touch your back upper teeth.
  • Breathe out and allow air to flow past your tongue.
  • Your vocal cords should not vibrate.

 

Spelling:

  • “sh” – shoe, push
  • “ss” (+ “u” or “I”) – pressure, mission
  • “ch” – champagne, machine
  • “ti” – patience, station
  • “ce” (not common)– ocean, groceries 
  • “s” (not common) – sugar, sure

 

LISTEN
 
Download english phonetics exercises audio
listen_to_-sh-.mp3
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/ʃ/…/ʃ/…/ʃ/…/ʃ/…

push…show...shrimp…pressure
 
 
The sound /ʃ/ can be in these consonant clusters:
  • Beginning of a Syllable
Download english phonetics exercises audio
sh_initial_clusters.mp3
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/ʃr/ (“shr”) - shrink

 

  • End of a Syllable
Download english phonetics exercises audio
sh_final_clusters.mp3
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/rʃ/ (“rsh”) - harsh
/lʃ/ (“lsh”) - Welsh
/ʃt/  (“shed”) - finished
 

Grammar Tip:
The sound /ʃ/ is present in the suffixes –tion and -ssion. These suffixes may turn a verb into a noun if the verb ends in /t/ or /s/.
 
Download english phonetics exercises audio
grammar_-sh-.mp3
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  • create --> creation
  • direct --> direction
  • educate --> education
  • express --> expression
  • discuss --> discussion
 
 
COMPARE
Compare /ʃ/ and /s/:
 
Download english phonetics exercises audio
compare_sh-s_1.mp3
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/ʃ/…/s/…/ʃ/…/s/…/ʃ/…/s/…

These are both voiceless fricative consonants pronounced near the alveolar ridge. However, /ʃ/ is an alveo-palatal fricative and /s/ is an alveolar fricative. When you pronounce /s/, your tongue is slightly farther forward than when you pronounce /ʃ/.
 
 
You can hear the difference between /ʃ/ and /s/ in these words.
Download english phonetics exercises audio
compare_sh-s_words.mp3
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1. A. shine, B. sign
2. A. shame, B. same
3. A. plush, B. plus
4. A. cashed, B. cast
5. A. meshing, B. messing 
6. A. furnishes, B. furnaces
 

Now compare /ʃ/ and /tʃ/:
 
Download english phonetics exercises audio
compare_sh-ch_1.mp3
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/ʃ/…/tʃ/…/ʃ/…/tʃ/…/ʃ/…/tʃ/…

These are both voiceless alveo-palatal consonants. However, /tʃ/ is an affricate while /ʃ/ is a fricative. When you pronounce /tʃ/, the air in your mouth should stop (like a /t/) before it is released (like a /ʃ/).
 

You can hear the difference between /ʃ/ and /tʃ/ in these words.
Download english phonetics exercises audio
compare_sh-ch_words.mp3
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1. A. sheep, B. cheap
2. A. share, B. chair
3. A. bash, B. batch
4. A. Porsches, B. porches
5. A. washed, B. watched
6. A. dishes, B. ditches
 
 
PRACTICE
Listen and repeat these words:
Download english phonetics exercises audio
words_with_-sh-.mp3
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1. shape
2. shine
3. shell
4. shabby
5. shrimp
6. shrewd
7. brush
8. cash
9. fish
10. harsh
11. rushed
12. publish
13. foolish
14. ocean
15. machine
16. portion
17. mention
18. addiction
19. assumption
20. sensation
 

Now, practice /ʃ/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.
Download english phonetics exercises audio
sentences_with_-sh-.mp3
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1. technicians – rushed - machine
The technicians rushed to repair the machine.
2. she – groceries* – cash
She paid for the groceries with cash.
3. essential – share – information
It’s essential that we share this information with the public
4. invitation – mention – location
The invitation didn’t mention the location of the party.
5. chef – selection – dishes
The chef prepared a selection of dishes for us to try.
6. wash – shampoo – conditioner
I always wash my hair with shampoo and conditioner

(*In some varieties of American English, "groceries" may be pronounced with /s/.)
 

To practice with different varieties of English, choose another native English speaker by clicking one of the links below: