When CH comes out as a K

1. 1
   school/skuːl/

   noun

   The building where children go for their lessons.
2. 2
   chemistry/ˈkeməstri/

   noun

   The science of what things are made of and how they react.
3. 3
   choir/ˈkwaɪər/

   noun

   A group of singers who perform together at a religious service.
4. 4
   orchestra/ˈɔːrkəstrə/

   noun

   A large group of musicians playing instruments together.
5. 5
   chaos/ˈkeɪɑːs/

   noun

   Complete confusion, with nothing under control.
6. 6
   architect/ˈɑːrkəˌtekt/

   noun

   Someone whose job is designing buildings.
7. 7
   technical/ˈteknɪkəl/

   adjective

   Needing special knowledge before you can understand it.
8. 8
   character/ˈkerɪktər/

   noun

   The set of qualities that shapes how a person behaves and what they think is right.
9. 9
   echo/ˈekoʊ/

   verb

   To ring with a sound that keeps bouncing back.
10. 10
    stomach/ˈstʌmək/

    verb

    To put up with something or someone you find unpleasant.

The sentences

1. How many kids are in the school right now?

2. The chemistry lab looks brand new to me.

3. Can my son join the choir after school?

4. Does the school have an orchestra as well?

5. The hallway at lunch must be complete chaos.

6. An architect designed this building about ten years ago.

7. Sorry, that was a bit too technical for me.

8. They say sports build character in young kids.

9. Does the hall echo when they sing in here?

10. I can't stomach that much noise every morning.

Pronunciation

• choir/ˈkwaɪər/

  Starts with a kw sound and rhymes with 'wire'.

• orchestra/ˈɔːrkəstrə/

  Three syllables with the stress up front: OR-kuh-struh. The middle vowel is barely there.

• chaos/ˈkeɪɑːs/

  Two syllables, KAY-oss.

• architect/ˈɑːrkəˌtekt/

  Starts with "ark" and the stress stays there.

• echo/ˈekoʊ/

  The ch is a k sound: 'eck-oh'.

• stomach/ˈstʌmək/

  The second half sounds like "muck", not "match".

Good to know

school bus

Yellow school buses take kids to public school for free. They're a well-known symbol of the United States.

PTA

This is the school's Parent-Teacher Association. Parents volunteer to organize events and raise money.

dress code

Most public schools don't require a uniform, but they do have a dress code students are expected to follow.

Questions

How do you pronounce 'choir'?

It starts with a kw sound and rhymes with 'wire'.

What does 'chaos' mean here?

It means complete confusion, with nothing under control, as in 'The hallway at lunch must be complete chaos.'

How do you say 'architect'?

It starts with 'ark' and the stress stays there, as in 'An architect designed this building about ten years ago.'