Words with ch pronounced k by level

Although CH is normally pronounced like the ch- in “chance” and -tch in “batch”, it sometimes has different pronunciations, including the ch- in “chaos” being the same k sound as the c- in “care” and the -ck in “black”. Like this example, most of those words come from Greek, something that is sometimes shown by sharing topics with other Greek vocabulary such as things linked to science, medicine, psychology, philosophy and logic, religion, fields of academic study, music, and other arts. Although most such words are very high level, this page gives suitable words to learn and teach this point at all levels from A1 to C1/C2.

Elementary words with ch pronounced k

  1. (head/ stomach/ back)ache
  2. character
  3. Chris
  4. Christmas
  5. mechanic
  6. Michael
  7. Nicholas
  8. school
  9. technology

Pre-intermediate words with ch pronounced k

  1. (news) anchor
  2. chemist
  3. choir
  4. cholesterol
  5. chorus
  6. Christian
  7. Czech
  8. orchestra
  9. psychiatrist
  10. psychologist
  11. stomach

Intermediate words with ch pronounced k

  1. architect
  2. charismatic
  3. choreographer
  4. christening
  5. Christopher
  6. echo
  7. mechanical
  8. mocha
  9. psychic
  10. tech
  11. zucchini

Upper-intermediate words with ch pronounced k

  1. archaeologist
  2. anarchy
  3. archive
  4. chameleon
  5. characteristic
  6. chemical
  7. chemotherapy
  8. chiropractor
  9. chlorine
  10. chord
  11. chronological
  12. hierarchy
  13. masochistic
  14. mechanism
  15. melancholy
  16. monarch
  17. orchid
  18. psycho
  19. scheme
  20. scholar
  21. synchronise

Advanced words with ch pronounced k

  1. alchemist
  2. anachronism
  3. archaic
  4. archangel
  5. archetype
  6. bronchitis
  7. chasm
  8. chloroform
  9. chromosome
  10. chronic
  11. dichotomy
  12. epoch
  13. hypochondria
  14. leprechaun
  15. Mach
  16. matriarch
  17. monochrome
  18. oligarch
  19. parochial
  20. patriarch
  21. psyche
  22. schematic
  23. scherzo
  24. schizophrenia
  25. schooner

Written for EnglishClub by Alex Case