Pick out the word in which the letters 'ch' have a different sound (underlined):

Question

Accepted Answer

Option 3, "chemical," is the correct answer because the pronunciation of the letters 'ch' in this word is different from the other options. In English, the 'ch' combination can produce different sounds, and understanding these variations is key to identifying the correct answer.

1. **Explanation for Option 3 ("chemical"):**
   - In the word "chemical," the 'ch' is pronounced as /k/, which is a hard sound. This pronunciation is derived from Greek origins, where 'ch' often represents a /k/ sound. This is distinct from the typical English pronunciation of 'ch' as /tʃ/.

2. **Explanation for why other options are incorrect:**
   - **Option 1 ("check"):** In this word, 'ch' is pronounced as /tʃ/, which is the most common pronunciation for 'ch' in English. This sound is similar to the 'ch' in "church" or "chocolate."
   - **Option 2 ("chess"):** Similar to "check," the 'ch' in "chess" is pronounced as /tʃ/. This is consistent with the typical English pronunciation of 'ch.'
   - **Option 4 ("chairman"):** Again, the 'ch' in "chairman" is pronounced as /tʃ/, following the standard English pronunciation pattern for 'ch.'

In summary, Option 3 is correct because the 'ch' in "chemical" is pronounced differently (/k/) compared to the /tʃ/ sound in the other options. This distinction in pronunciation justifies why "chemical" is the word with a different 'ch' sound.