How to Pronounce the /ʃ/ Sound

Here, we're gonna learn about the /ʃ/ sound. I know that it looks a bit weird, but trust me, it's as easy as a piece of cake.

How to Pronounce the /ʃ/ Sound

In this lesson, we are going to learn all there is about how we can produce the /ʃ/ sound using the appropriate articulatory organs.

What Type of Sound Is /ʃ/?

/ʃ/ is a consonant in the English language.

How to Produce /ʃ/?

how to pronounce /ʃ/

As you can see in picture (b), the tongue plays a major part in the production of this sound. In order to produce this sound, the middle part of the tongue raises and gets close to the roof of the mouth. The sides of the tongue touch the roof of the mouth. The tip of the tongue is directed downwards and it is just behind the back of the front teeth. Note that the uvula has blocked the air passing through to the nose. If you pay attention to the throat, the circle is grey indicating that we do not need to use our vocal cords. So, it is voiceless.
As you can see in picture (a), the lips are parted and the teeth are slightly touching. Note that when we are producing this sound, the corners of the lips are directed downwards a bit.
In picture (c), you can see where exactly the sides of the tongue touch the roof of the mouth. It is right behind the upper front teeth. Below, we have provided all the letters that represent this sound for you:

  • s + h: sh

Shelter /ʃel·tər/

Shoes /ʃuː/

Sheer /ʃɪr/

  • s + sure: sh

Reassure /riː.əˈʃʊr/

Pressure /preʃ·ər/

Fissure /fɪʃ·ər/

Commission /kəˈmɪʃ.ən/

Profession /prəˈfeʃ·ən/

Succession /səkˈseʃ·ən/

  • Sometimes c + h: ch

Charlotte /ʃɑːr.lət/

Chandelier /ʃæn.dəˈlɪr/

Champagne /ʃæmˈpeɪn/

Position /pəˈzɪʃ.ən/

Recommendation /rek.ə.menˈdeɪ.ʃən/

Globalization: /ɡləʊbəlɪˈzeɪʃən/

  • Seldom used t + i: ti

Patience /peɪ.ʃəns/

  • Sometimes s + u: su

Sugar /ʃʊɡ·ər/

Sure /ʃʊr/

Warning!

Note that there are some exceptions when we combine two letters, but it is not a rule and cannot be applied to every word. For example:

Ocean /oʊ.ʃən/

We cannot say that whenever c comes with e, they sound /ʃ/.

/ʃ/ Sound 17 Most Common World Languages

In the table below, you can see that several of the 17 most common world languages have this sound. Check it out:

The Languages Do You Have It? Examples
Mandarin x -
Spanish x -
Hindustani शक/شکریہ
Bengali সব
Portuguese xamã
Russian x -
Japanese x -
Vietnamese x -
Marathi x -
Turkish güneş
French cher
German schön
Italian x -
Persian شاه
Arabic (Standard) شمس
Korean x -

Listening

Below, there is an audio file that helps you learn the proper pronunciation of the /ʃ/ sound:

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