What is the /ʃ/ Sound?
First, let's look at a few examples of words with the English /ʃ/ sound:
- show
- shop
- ocean
- addition
- fish
- rush
According to Baruch College's Tools for Clear Speech, the /ʃ/ sound is made by doing the following:
"To make /ʃ/, place the tip of your tongue at the front of the top of your mouth, behind where the /s/ is produced. Push air between the top of your mouth and the tip of your tongue. Do not vibrate your vocal cords."
If you need more help articulating the /ʃ/ sound, check out this video to learn the correct tongue and mouth placement.
Practicing the /ʃ/ Sound
Everything you need to pronounce the English /ʃ/ sound correctly is on this page. Just follow the instructions.
What do you have to do?
Practice for 5 minutes a day for 7 days.
That’s it.
Your goal is to pronounce the /ʃ/ sound clearly and easily by the end of day 7.
Let’s do it!
This guide to the American English /ʃ/ sound is full of useful information. Click the link below to jump to the part you are looking for:
- Day 1 of the /ʃ/ sound
- Day 2 of the /ʃ/ sound
- Day 3 of the /ʃ/ sound
- Day 4 of the /ʃ/ sound
- Day 5 of the /ʃ/ sound
- Day 6 of the /ʃ/ sound
- Day 7 of the /ʃ/ sound
- Additional /ʃ/ sound resources
- PDF download of the /ʃ/ sound
Day 1: The /ʃ/ Sound
If you are ready, let’s start with the practice for day one.
It’s pretty simple.
Watch the video and follow along.
Listen and repeat.
🔊 Click here to listen to the audio version
Minimal Pairs
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /ʃ/ sound and similar sounds like /s/ and /tʃ/.
- so - show
- sea - she
- watch - wash
- hatch - hash
Vowel Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ʃ/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.
- shirt - short - sheet - shoot - shut
- wish - wash - woosh
Syllable Stress Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ʃ/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.
- shadow
- shower
- addition
- cushion
Reduced Sounds Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ʃ/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.
- I want a washing machine that actually works.
- She should have finished by now.
Tongue Twister Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ʃ/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.
- Shy Shelly says she shall sew sheets.
- Six sharp smart sharks.
Day 2: The /ʃ/ Sound
Just like day one, except simpler.
Watch the video and follow along.
Listen and repeat.
🔊 Click here to listen to the audio version
Minimal Pairs
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /ʃ/ sound and similar sounds like /s/ and /tʃ/.
- sew - show
- seat - sheet
- which - wish
- chair - share
Vowel Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ʃ/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.
- addition - rendition - ovation
- washer - wisher - whoosher
Syllable Stress Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ʃ/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.
- cashier
- ashtray
- fashion
- washout
Reduced Sounds Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ʃ/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.
- What did you publish?
- Let me show you our new shoe collection.
Tongue Twister Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ʃ/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.
- Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep.
- Shocking shouting should surely shake.
Day 3: The /ʃ/ Sound
Today will be the last day you only listen and repeat.
Tomorrow, you will have to start to speak.
But let’s focus on today.
Just like yesterday, watch the video and follow along.
Listen and repeat.
🔊 Click here to listen to the audio version
Minimal Pairs
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /ʃ/ sound and similar sounds like /s/ and /tʃ/.
- sour - shower
- sell - shell
- ditch - dish
- match - mash
Vowel Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ʃ/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.
- shop - ship - sheep - shape
- mash - moosh - mush - mesh
Syllable Stress Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ʃ/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.
- offshore
- machine
- insure
- demolish
Reduced Sounds Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ʃ/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.
- Would you buy me a toothbrush at the shop?
- We won’t eat fish because of the pollution in the ocean.
Tongue Twister Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /ʃ/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.
- She sells seashells by the seashore.
- Six short slow shepherds.
Day 4: The /ʃ/ Sound
Time to speak.
You will notice that these are the words, phrases, and sentences you repeated on day one.
Today, your job is different.
Open up a Google Doc, enable voice typing and speak.
Watch the video to see how it works.
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /ʃ/ sound and similar sounds like /s/ and /tʃ/.
- so - show
- sea - she
- watch - wash
- hatch - hash
- shirt - short - sheet - shoot - shut
- wish - wash - woosh
- shadow
- shower
- addition
- cushion
- I want a washing machine that actually works.
- She should have finished by now.
- Shy Shelly says she shall sew sheets.
- Six sharp smart sharks.
Day 5: The /ʃ/ Sound
Let’s revisit the words, phrases, and sentences you practiced on day two.
Just like yesterday, open up a Google Doc, enable voice typing, and get ready to speak.
- sew - show
- seat - sheet
- which - wish
- chair - share
- addition - rendition - ovation
- washer - wisher - whoosher
- cashier
- ashtray
- fashion
- washout
- Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep.
- Shocking shouting should surely shake.
- Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep.
- Shocking shouting should surely shake.
TIP*** Are there some words that the computer does not understand no matter how many times you say them? No worries, just skip it and move on. No one is perfect.
Day 6: The /ʃ/ Sound
You are so close to day 7.
Be proud that you have made it this far :)
In today’s lesson, let’s circle back to the words, phrases, and sentences you repeated on day three and practice saying them aloud.
- sour - shower
- sell - shell
- ditch - dish
- match - mash
- shop - ship - sheep - shape
- mash - moosh - mush - mesh
- offshore
- machine
- insure
- demolish
- Would you buy me a toothbrush at the shop?
- We won’t eat fish because of the pollution in the ocean.
- She sells seashells by the seashore.
- Six short slow shepherds.
Day 7: The /ʃ/ Sound
Congratulations!!!
You have made it to the very last day of this /ʃ/ sound practice course.
Do you feel like your pronunciation of this sound is improving?
Let’s finish with a simple, but challenging exercise.
Just like you did on days 4, 5, and 6, open up a Google Doc and enable voice typing.
This time, try to get the technology to recognize these six tongue twisters.
- Shy Shelly says she shall sew sheets.
- Six sharp smart sharks.
- She sells seashells by the seashore.
- Six short slow shepherds.
- Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep.
- Shocking shouting should surely shake.
Now, turn voice typing off and try to say each tongue twister as fast as possible.
Watch the video to learn how to go through this exercise.
Additional Resources: The /ʃ/ Sound
Words with the /ʃ/ sound
| Beginning | Middle | End |
| she | ocean | fish |
| shell | addition | rush |
| show | lotion | dish |
| shop | machine | finish |
| short | washer | cash |
| shake | sushi | crash |
| show | insure | trash |
| shape | fashion | bush |
| shirt | washout | stylish |
| shout | offshore | publish |
| shake | hashish | varnish |
| shade | warship | polish |
| sheep | fishing | squash |
| shoot | smashed | fetish |
| shift | friendship | splash |
| short | cushion | brush |
| share | cashier | wish |
| shadow | ashtray | stylish |
| shower | kosher | smash |
| should | trashy | flash |
Minimal Pair Collection
Minimal Pair /s/ and /ʃ/ sea she
- so - show
- sea - she
- sew - show
- seat - sheet
- sour - shower
- sell - shell
- sort - short
- sock - shock
- sip - ship
- sign - shine
Minimal Pair /tʃ/ and /ʃ/ chair share
- watch - wash
- hatch - hash
- ditch - dish
- match - mash
- chew - shoe
- which - wish
- chair - share
- cheap - sheep
- catch - cash
- putsch - push
Vowel Collection
- shirt - short - sheet - shoot - shut
- wish - wash - woosh
- she - shoe - sheer - share - sure
- dish - dash - dosh
- shop - ship - sheep - shape
- mash - moosh - mush - mesh
Syllable Stress Collection
- shadow
- shower
- addition
- cushion
- cashier
- ashtray
- fashion
- washout
- offshore
- machine
- insure
- demolish
Reduced Sounds Collection
- I want a washing machine that actually works.
- She should have finished by now.
- What did you publish?
- Let me show you our new shoe collection.
- Would you buy me a toothbrush at the shop?
- We won’t eat fish because of the pollution in the ocean.
Tongue Twister Collection
- Shy Shelly says she shall sew sheets.
- Six sharp smart sharks.
- She sells seashells by the seashore.
- Six short slow shepherds.
- Silly Sally swiftly shooed seven silly sheep.
- Shocking shouting should surely shake.
Additional Resources
- Tools for Clear Speech /ʃ/ profile
- Rachel’s English Video on the /ʃ/ sound
- TEFLpedia /ʃ/ sound
Additional Activities for All Sounds
Practice Three Words
Answer the following question:
What do you like to do in your free time?
Pick one, two, or three words from the word bank and include them in your response. If it helps, you may write out the example sentences with the word in context first.
Youglish Research
Visit the Youglish website. Pick a word or phrase you would like to practice. Enter it into the Youglish search bar. Find three examples of the word or phrase in context to shadow.
Teacher Time
During your next English speaking practice session with a teacher or conversation partner, have a list of three to five words you would like to use. Give yourself a point every time you use the word correctly in context and it is understood. Aim to score 5 points within the first 10 minutes (so the rest of the time you focus just on communicating).
Voice Typing
Write out three sentences with challenging words or phrases. Use Google Docs or any other software with the ability to turn speech to text. Read these sentences aloud and check to see if your pronunciation is correct.
***There are a ton of possibilities. These are just a few ideas. Use the word bank, tongue twisters, example sentences, and other resources on this page to continue to work on this sound.
If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments below. I read and respond to all of them.
Download the PDF version of this 7-day mini-course.
Plus the PDF-version of every single English sound for free.
