Pronunciation of
the ch / j sounds

What is the difference between the ch and j sounds in English?

The letter combinations ch and j are pronounced in the same part of the mouth, but have a key difference:

The letter j is a voiced sound, meaning we use our vocal cords to produce it.
The combination ch is a voiceless sound, meaning that we don't use our vocal cords to produce it. We only use airflow to create it.

Click the links below to listen and repeat the pronunciation.

The first word in each row of the table below has the ch sound (phonetic sound of /ʧ/). The second has the j sound (phonetic sound of /ʤ/). Click on the word to hear and repeat the pronunciation.

The pronunciation of the sounds ch and j in English
The ch sound	The j sound
► cheap	► Jeep
► choke	► joke
► cheers	► jeers
► match	► Madge
► H	► age
► cherry	► Jerry
► chin	► gin
► chain	► Jane
► chest	► jest
► chew	► Jew
► chive	► jive
► choker	► joker