How to Pronounce the German CH
Pick the right ch every time: soft after e and i, throaty after a, o, u, and ks in sechs.
German ch has two main sounds, and the vowel in front of it decides which one you need. English has neither as a normal consonant, so both need a little practice.
Neither is 'k' and neither is 'sh'. Both are a steady stream of air squeezed through a narrow gap.
Tap any word to hear it.
Soft ch: the ich-sound [ç]
After e, i, ä, ö, ü, the diphthongs ei, eu, äu, and after l, n, r, ch is soft. It is also soft in the diminutive ending -chen.
- Say 'yes' and hold the 'y' without voice: that hiss is [ç].
- Or whisper the h in 'huge' and push more air.
- Tongue stays high and forward, touching the upper side teeth.
- Keep the lips relaxed; rounding them turns it into 'sh'.
after e, i, ä, ö, ü[ç]
like the h in 'huge', with more air
after ei, eu, äu, l, n, r[ç]
same soft hiss after these sounds
-chen (little …)[ç]
always soft, even after a, o, u
Ich möchte noch Milch.
I'd like some more milk.
Das ist nicht leicht.
That isn't easy.
Hard ch: the ach-sound [x]
After a, o, u and au, ch moves to the back of the mouth. It is close to the Scottish 'loch', never a 'k'.
- Start to say 'k', but don't close: let air scrape through.
- The back of the tongue rises toward the soft palate.
- Keep it smooth and long, like a gentle clearing of the throat.
after a, o, u, au[x]
like Scottish 'loch', friction at the back
umlaut switches hard to soft
u is hard, ü is soft
Ich lese auch ein Buch.
I'm reading a book too.
Acht Nächte, nicht acht Wochen!
Eight nights, not eight weeks!
ch at the start of a word
Word-initial ch appears mostly in borrowed words, and it follows the source language. Learn these as a small list.
- French words use 'sh': Chef, Chance.
- Greek words before a, o, l, r use 'k': Chor, Christ.
- Before e and i it is [ç]; southern speakers often say 'k'.
French loans[ʃ]
like English 'sh'
before a, o, l, r[k]
a plain 'k'
before e, i[ç]
soft ich-sound; 'k' in the south
chs sounds like [ks]
When chs belongs to one word stem, it is simply 'ks', like the x in 'box'. Plain ch in related words keeps its normal sound.
chs inside one stem[ks]
like 'x' in 'box'
no s after ch, so soft
Common mistakes
✗ “ick” or “ish”
✓ [ɪç] — soft hiss, tongue high and forward
English has no [ç], so learners grab the nearest sound.
✗ “nakt” with a hard k
✓ [naxt] — keep air flowing at the back
The tongue closes fully instead of leaving a narrow gap.
✗ “milk” or “milsh”
✓ [mɪlç] — soft ich-sound after l
The English word 'milk' pulls the tongue to k.
✗ “sesh” or “sekhs”
✓ [zɛks] — voiced s, then plain ks
Spelling suggests a ch-sound, but chs is ks.
How to practise
- Hiss 'yyy' without voice, then add a vowel before it: i-ç, ich.
- Alternate Buch – Bücher, Nacht – Nächte ten times, feeling the tongue slide forward.
- Say 'k' slowly, open it slightly and keep blowing: that is ach.
- Read 'ich, dich, mich, sich' as one fast rhythm, no k anywhere.
Questions learners ask
Is German ich pronounced 'ish'?
No, though 'ish' is closer than 'ick'. Keep your lips unrounded and your tongue high, as for 'y' in 'yes'.
How do I know which ch to use?
Look at the sound before it: a, o, u or au give the throaty [x]. Everything else, including -chen, gives the soft [ç].
Why do some Germans say 'ick' or 'isch'?
Those are dialects: 'ick' in Berlin, 'isch' in parts of the west and southwest. Standard German uses [ç].