In speech production, the term affricate refers to a category of consonant sounds that comprise both a stop consonsant (e.g. /ttttttttt/, /ddddddddd/, /ppppppppp/) and a fricative sound (e.g., /sssssssss/, /zzzzzzzzz/, /ʃshshʃshshʃshsh/). English has two affricates – /ʧchchʧchchʧchch/ (as in church) and /ʤjjʤjjʤjj/ (as in judge).
The consonant /ʧchchʧchchʧchch/ is found in words like child, {{much|mʌˈʧ|much}, situation. When spoken, the sound is made up two other sounds /ttttttttt/ and /ʃshshʃshshʃshsh/. The initial stop and placement of the tongue can lead new, hearing cuers to believe that they say the letter "t" in words like watch, catch, and botch. Insertion of handshape 5 for /ttttttttt/ in these words would be incorrect. There is no difference in pronunciation for the final consonants in which and witch.
The consonant /ʤjjʤjjʤjj/ ([handshape 7]) is found in words like jump, edge, and graduate.