SH words
Initial SH words list
This first list features SH sound words in the initial position. This simply means that the words start with a SH!
You can download the free PDF above so that you always have this handy resource on hand, or you can simply browse the word list below and choose the words that interest you or are useful for you right now.
shabby
shack
shade
shadow
shaft
shaken
shallot
shallow
sham
shaman
shame
shampoo
shamrock
shandy
shank
shanty
shape
shard
share
shark
sharp
sharpen
sharpie
shave
shawl
shazam
she
sheath
shebang
shed
sheen
sheep
sheer
sheet
sheeting
shelf
shell
shelter
shepherd
sherbet
sheriff
sherlock
sherry
shield
shift
shimmer
shin
shine
shingle
shiny
ship
shipwreck
shipyard
shire
shirt
shiitake
shiver
shoal
shock
shoe
shoelace
shogun
shoo
shook
shop
short
shortage
shot
shotgun
should
shoulder
shout
shove
shovel
show
showcase
shower
showoff
shrew
shrewd
shriek
shrill
shrimp
shrine
shrink
shrivel
shroud
shrub
shrug
shuck
shudder
shuffle
shush
shut
shutdown
shuteye
shutoff
shutter
shuttle
shy
Medial SH words list
Next, we have a list of words with the SH sound in the medial position. This means that the sound is in the middle of the word.
SH won’t always appear directly in the middle, it depends on the length of the word and how many syllables it has. It just means that the sound is neither at the beginning nor at the ending, it is somewhere in between. This list has mostly 2 syllable words where SH does appear exactly in the middle.
It should be noted that in medial pairs there are several alternate spellings that make the SH sound. Here are some examples –
cea – example – ocean
sc – example – conscious
ss – example – issue
tio – example – education
action
addition
airship
ashen
ashtray
auction
audition
bashful
bedsheet
bookshop
bushed
bushel
bushes
caption
cashew
cashier
caution
conscious
correction
courtship
cushion
cushy
dashboard
dashing
dictionary
dishes
earshot
eggshell
emotion
fashion
fiction
finished
fishbowl
fisher
fishing
flashback
flashcard
flashlight
fraction
freshen
freshman
friendship
geisha
hardship
horseshoe
inshore
kinship
lampshade
lotion
machine
marshal
marshland
milkshake
motion
mushroom
mushy
musician
nation
notion
nutshell
ocean
offshoot
offshore
option
outshine
ovation
potion
pushy
ration
reshape
roadshow
seashell
seashore
section
shipshape
sideshow
slingshot
snapshot
social
spaceship
starship
station
suction
sunshine
suspicion
thresher
tissue
township
trashcan
trashed
tuition
vacation
warship
washer
washout
washy
windshield
wishbone
wishes
worship
Final SH words list
Our last list features words with the SH sound in the final position, it appears at the end of the words.
airbrush
ambush
astonish
awash
backlash
balderdash
banish
bash
blush
boyish
brackish
brainwash
brash
British
brush
bush
cash
cherish
childish
clash
codfish
crash
crayfish
crush
Danish
dash
demolish
dish
establish
extinguish
eyelash
finish
fish
flash
flesh
flourish
flush
foolish
fresh
furnish
garnish
gibberish
gnash
goldfish
gosh
goulash
hairbrush
harsh
hush
inrush
languish
lash
lavish
leash
licorice
lush
marsh
mash
mesh
nourish
parish
perish
plush
Polish
posh
publish
punish
push
quash
radish
rash
ravish
refresh
rehash
relish
rosebush
rubbish
rush
selfish
shush
skirmish
slash
slosh
sluggish
smash
splash
squash
squeamish
squish
starfish
stash
stylish
sunfish
swish
thrash
trash
vanish
varnish
wash
wish
SH words with pictures
Here are some lovely flashcards of SH words with pictures. You can use these not only to make rote learning more interesting but also to play games and do hands-on learning activities.
The words included on these free flashcards are –
SH in the initial position
Sheet 1 – shadow, shark, shed, sheep, shell, shield, ship, and shirt.
Sheet 2 – shoes, shop, shout, shovel, shower, shrimp, shrine, and shuttle.
SH in the Medial position
Sheet 1 – addition, cashews, eggshell, fishbowl, flashlight, friendship, horseshoe, and lotion.
Sheet 2 – machine, milkshake, mushroom, ocean, potion, slingshot, tissue, and vacation.
SH in the final position
Sheet 1 – brush, cash, crash, dish, eyelash, fish, leash, and licorice.
Sheet 2 – marsh, mash, radish, rash, splash, squash, trash, and wash.
Ideas for using the SH words pictures
We all have our favorite flashcard games that never seem to fail us. Here are a few extra ideas you might like to try with these flashcards.
Sorting – With several or all picture cards printed and cut out you can ask learners to arrange the cards in groups of initial, medial, and final position.
Arranging – The cards can arranged in ways such as by alphabetical order.
Sentence prompts – Ask a student to choose several cards at random and see if they can make a sentence using them.
Practice sentences
Ask your class to read these interesting sentences for some targeted speaking fun!
Shelly smashed the milkshake machine.
Thresher sharks in the shade of a washed-up shipwreck.
She was sluggish to finish her seashells and shrimp.
A geisha shared shiitake mushrooms.
The British found fresh cashew bushes near the seashore.
Related resources
Try these useful materials for further practice and ideas.
There are the S and SH tongue twisters to really get mouths moving.
We also have some minimal pairs pages that have flashcards sentences and lists. These can help learners focus on the SH sound –
