Pronounciation Help

[WildCelt]

Greetings everyone,

I am wondering if someone can help me with pronounciation of a few words. When "ch" appears in the beginning of a word, how is it pronounced? Examples:
Chumash
Challah
Chaver (what does that mean, anyway?)

Is the "C" silent, or is it pronounced "kh"?

TIA

 

[cherokeehippie]

It's a guttural sound that we don't use in English. It's a kh sound that starts in the throat. Chaver means friend. Lara

 

[Multi-Elis]

cherokeehippie is right. You know like "ch" in germain. Or "J" in spanish.
Actually there are two versions, one said more in the back of the mouth the other in the front. (khet and chaf) Only the Arabs however, care to make the difference any more. Which is sad because it makes spelling easier.

 

[WildCelt]

Huh. Thanks for the info. I have heard several people call it "Hoo-mash," now I know that's not correct!

 

[The Thadman]

Huh. Thanks for the info. I have heard several people call it "Hoo-mash," now I know that's not correct!

Pronouncing it like an "H" is not incorrect, per se, but as close as the English language gets to the sound. Some translitterations use "H" instead of "CH" at the beginning of words.

Shlomo,
-Steve-o

 

[Henaynei]

just think of the "ch" in Bach - that is the sound - with maybe just a little more emphisis, of "harder" sound.... I tend to use "kh" (as in Barukh) in my transliterations as it is then rarely mistaken for another sound - I have also see it represented by "qh" (as in Baruqh) - I prefer kh