The two German “ch” sounds, explained simply

German has two different sounds hiding behind the letters “ch”. Learners often use one of them everywhere, usually a hard k or an English sh. Both stand out right away.

The good news: you don't have to guess. The letter right before the “ch” tells you which one to use.

The rough one: the “ach” sound

After a, o, u and au, the sound is made at the back of your mouth, roughly where you'd make a k. But instead of stopping the air, you let it scrape through.

Examples: Bach, acht, noch, Buch, auch, lachen.

Say “k”, but don't let your tongue close. Keep the air flowing, like clearing your throat very gently.

The soft one: the “ich” sound

After everything else (e, i, ä, ö, ü, ei, eu, and after consonants like l, n, r), it moves to the front.

Examples: ich, nicht, echt, Milch, München, leicht.

Say the English word “yes”, but hold the “y” and whisper it. That breathy hiss is very close to the ich sound.

It's not sh. For sh your lips round and push forward. For the ich sound they stay relaxed, almost like a smile.

Practise in pairs

• Buch (back) / Bücher (front)
• Nacht (back) / Nächte (front)
• Koch (back) / Köche (front)

Notice how the plural moves the vowel forward, and the “ch” follows it. Once you hear that, the rule stops being a rule and starts feeling natural.

One more: “-ig” at the end

In standard German, words ending in -ig often use the soft ich sound: wichtig, richtig, König. In the south and in Austria you'll hear a k instead. Both are understood; just pick one and be consistent.