Choose exam board for KS4 Computer Science (GCSE)
Choose exam board for KS4 English
Choose exam board for KS4 French
Choose exam board for KS4 Geography
Choose exam board for KS4 German
Choose exam board for KS4 History
Choose tier for KS4 Maths
Choose exam board for KS4 Music
Choose exam board for KS4 Physical education (GCSE)
Choose exam board for KS4 Religious education (GCSE)
Choose exam board for KS4 Spanish

      French derived spelling: 'ch' (sh)

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can spell the /sh/ sound using the French derived spelling 'ch'.

      Key learning points

      1. The /sh/ sound can be spelt 'sh' or 'ch'.
      2. Many words in the English language come from other languages.
      3. Words that contain the /sh/ sound spelt 'ch' often come from the French language.
      4. How to spell the curriculum words: certain, important and woman.

      Keywords

      • Definition - a clear and precise explanation of the meaning of a word or term

      • Adjective - describes a noun

      • Noun - a naming word for a person, place or thing

      • Origin - the source or beginning of something like the place, time or history of a word or idea

      • Etymology - the study of the origin of words and the ways their meanings have changed over time

      Common misconception

      Pupils will be more familiar with the 'sh' digraph so may spell words containing 'ch' incorrectly.

      Talk about the origin of words drawing links between spellings containing the 'ch' spelling sounding like the /sh/ sound.

      Teacher tip

      Celebrate languages spoken in class to start to understand derivatives, origins and etymology.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

      Loading...

      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Tick the correct definition of a noun.

      a describing word
      a doing, being or having word
      a word that describes a verb
      Correct answer: a naming word for a person, place or thing

      Q2.
      Which word class is the word in bold in the following sentence? I grabbed the ball before it fell into the pond.

      adjective
      adverb
      Correct answer: noun
      verb

      Q3.
      Identify the noun in the following sentence. They packed their bags and hurried away.

      packed
      Correct answer: bags
      hurried
      away

      Q4.
      Identify the words that contain the /sh/ sound.

      Correct answer: wish
      cake
      Correct answer: special
      switch

      Q5.
      Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence. I need a new callender for the new year.

      Correct Answer: calendar

      Q6.
      Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence. I go for a walk at the reguler time of 2 o'clock every day.

      Correct Answer: regular

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What does the origin of a word tell us?

      what the word means
      Correct answer: where the word originally came from
      which word class the word belongs to
      the number of syllables in the word

      Q2.
      Words containing the 'ch' spelling of the /sh/ sound come from...

      Arabic
      Japanese
      English
      Correct answer: French

      Q3.
      Identify the French derived spellings.

      shop
      match
      Correct answer: chalet
      Correct answer: chef
      church

      Q4.
      Choose the correct spelling for the word in bold in the following sentence. The fisch had scales that shimmered and glistened.

      fis
      fich
      Correct answer: fish
      phish

      Q5.
      Choose the correct spelling for the word in bold in the following sentence. Switch off the masheen before you go home.

      mashine
      Correct answer: machine
      macheen
      machene

      Q6.
      Tick the sentences where the words in bold are spelt correctly.

      I am sertain that I will get home before it gets dark.
      Correct answer: I am certain that I will get home before it gets dark.
      It is inportent to be kind to people.
      Correct answer: It is important to be kind to people.

      To help you plan your 4 English lesson on: French derived spelling: 'ch' (sh), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...