VIDEO: How to Pronounce SCH- at the Beginnings of English Words: SK or SH?

One of you recently commented on our Twitter page about the tricky pronunciation of the word scheme. Did you know that there are two possible pronunciations for sch- at the beginnings of English words? For some words, sch- sounds like /sk/, as in school. In other words, sch- sounds like /sh/, as in schlep.

This is largely a result of the word’s origin. Words pronounced like school usually came into English from Greek, Latin, or Italian. Words pronounced like schlep typically came into English from German, Russian, or Yiddish.

Related: Why is English So Crazy?! A Brief History of the English Language

Watch this video to learn the correct American English pronunciations of 23 words, 7 surnames, and 1 fictional character’s name all beginning with sch-.

There’s a quiz at the end of the video, so pay attention and repeat after me as I say each word.

(Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you found this video helpful. I really appreciate your support!)

In case some of the words in the video are new to you, the definitions are below. Many of these words have multiple definitions, but I’ve only put one definition for each. For full definitions, try looking them up in the Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries.

Note: In general, the words that we’ve adopted from Yiddish are slang, and often have a humorous tone.

schedule

Example sentence: My schedule is full during the week, but I’d love to grab lunch this weekend if you’re free.

scheme

Example sentence: Abigail’s scheme to avoid paying taxes sounds risky. Aren’t there better ways to save money?

schematic

Example sentence: The client loved the schematics we showed him for the design of his new house. Now let’s draw up detailed blueprints for the contractors.

schism

Example sentence: The schism in Islam between Sunni and Shia formed over a thousand years ago.

schizophrenic

Example sentence: Sammy was recently diagnosed as schizophrenic, but we hope the medication will help him.

school

Example sentence: The school just repainted all of their classrooms.

scholar

Example sentence: Frank is a scholar of the Greek language. Because of his expertise, he was recently asked to participate in a project sponsored by Oxford University.

scherzo

Example sentence: My grandmother’s favorite passage in classical music is the scherzo from Beethoven’s 5th.

schooner

Example sentence: How many sailors will you need to man the schooner?

schlemiel / schlemazel

Example sentence: A schlemiel is a person who often spills his soup, and a schlemazel is the person it lands on. (Yiddish saying)

schlep

Example sentence: Fred wants to go camping this weekend, but I don’t feel like it. We’re going to end up schlepping equipment all morning just to spend one night in the woods.

schmaltzy

Example sentence: My mom only watches schmaltzy Hallmark movies, and my father only likes police dramas. They hardly ever watch TV together.

schmear

Example sentence: Where did you put the bagels and schmear?

schmo

Example sentence: Ray is such a schmo. Do we have to invite him to the party?

schmooze

Example sentence: They all stood around schmoozing at the networking event.

schmuck

Example sentence: Why are you so proud of yourself for doing a 20-piece jigsaw puzzle? Any old schmuck could do that.

schnozz

Example sentence: Cyrano was known for his poetry and his schnozz.

schwa

Example sentence: The schwa sound is the most common vowel sound in spoken English.

schadenfreude

Example sentence: Tina has a highly developed sense of schadenfreude. She practically throws a party when her rivals are suffering.

schnapps

Example sentence: We have red wine, gin, and peppermint schnapps. Which would you prefer?

schnauzer

Example sentence: We have a bulldog now, but I grew up with schnauzers. I’d love to get another schnauzer one day.

schnitzel

Example sentence: Good evening, Sir. Our special of the day is the veal schnitzel with spätzle.