tch digraph

Core Rule

tch spells the /tʃ/ sound after a short vowel in a single syllable or stressed syllable. It signals a closed syllable pattern: short vowel + /tʃ/, as in fetch and sketch.

Articulation Guide

Start with a brief alveolar stop /t/ (tongue tip to ridge), then release immediately into a postalveolar fricative /ʃ/. The mouth is slightly open; airflow is blocked then released.

Word Analysis

fetch: short /e/ requires tch to secure the ending; sketch: same short-vowel logic, preventing the incorrect skech.

Pitfalls

Do not use ch after short vowels. After long vowels, diphthongs, or consonants, ch is typical (peach, coach).