Letters of English Alphabet
Silent e making C and G soft when after it
The letter C can be pronounced as either K or S, depending on the situation.
| Situation |
Result |
Example |
| When C is followed by a vowel sound that is A, O, U, or sometimes other vowels, in the same syllable or later in the word |
C is pronounced as K |
Cat, Car, Clay |
| When C is followed by a vowel sound that is E, I, or Y, in the same syllable or later in the word |
C is pronounced as S |
Cell, Cinema |
Note that the pronunciation of C is determined by the vowel sound that follows it, not necessarily the immediate letter. This means that the presence of consonants between C and the vowel sound does not change the pronunciation of C.
Double C
When CC is followed by E, I, or Y, the first C is usually /k/ and the second softens:
- accident → /ˈæk.sɪ.dənt/
- accept → /əkˈsept/
- success → /səkˈses/
In many words, this results in the sound sequence /ks/.
Examples:
- accident → /ˈæk.sɪ.dənt/
- success → /səkˈses/
- access → /ˈæk.ses/
| Situation |
Pronunciation |
Example |
| Jab C ke baad A, O, U aaye |
Tab ussey K padhte hai |
Cat, Car, Clay (kat, kar, klay) |
| Jab C ke baad E, I, Y aaye |
Tab ussey C padhte hai |
Cell, Cinema (sell, sinema) |
Examples
C → /k/ before A
| Word |
IPA |
| cat |
/kæt/ |
| can |
/kæn/ |
| cap |
/kæp/ |
| camera |
/ˈkæmərə/ |
| camp |
/kæmp/ |
| candle |
/ˈkændl/ |
| cabin |
/ˈkæbɪn/ |
| cabbage |
/ˈkæbɪdʒ/ |
| cake |
/keɪk/ |
| call |
/kɔːl/ |
| calm |
/kɑːm/ |
| camel |
/ˈkæməl/ |
| canal |
/kəˈnæl/ |
| cancel |
/ˈkænsəl/ |
| capture |
/ˈkæptʃər/ |
| captain |
/ˈkæptɪn/ |
| carbon |
/ˈkɑːrbən/ |
| card |
/kɑːrd/ |
| care |
/ker/ |
| carpet |
/ˈkɑːrpɪt/ |
| carrot |
/ˈkærət/ |
| carry |
/ˈkæri/ |
| castle |
/ˈkæsəl/ |
| casual |
/ˈkæʒuəl/ |
| category |
/ˈkætəɡɔːri/ |
C → /k/ before O
| Word |
IPA |
| coat |
/koʊt/ |
| cold |
/koʊld/ |
| coffee |
/ˈkɔːfi/ |
| coin |
/kɔɪn/ |
| color |
/ˈkʌlər/ |
| column |
/ˈkɑːləm/ |
| company |
/ˈkʌmpəni/ |
| common |
/ˈkɑːmən/ |
| control |
/kənˈtroʊl/ |
| cotton |
/ˈkɑːtən/ |
| copy |
/ˈkɑːpi/ |
| coral |
/ˈkɔːrəl/ |
| corner |
/ˈkɔːrnər/ |
| correct |
/kəˈrekt/ |
| cost |
/kɔːst/ |
| cottage |
/ˈkɑːtɪdʒ/ |
| country |
/ˈkʌntri/ |
| couple |
/ˈkʌpəl/ |
| course |
/kɔːrs/ |
| court |
/kɔːrt/ |
C → /k/ before U
| Word |
IPA |
| cup |
/kʌp/ |
| cube |
/kjuːb/ |
| cure |
/kjʊr/ |
| curious |
/ˈkjʊriəs/ |
| culture |
/ˈkʌltʃər/ |
| curtain |
/ˈkɜːrtən/ |
| custom |
/ˈkʌstəm/ |
| customer |
/ˈkʌstəmər/ |
| cushion |
/ˈkʊʃən/ |
| current |
/ˈkɜːrənt/ |
| cupful |
/ˈkʌpfəl/ |
| cultivate |
/ˈkʌltɪveɪt/ |
| cucumber |
/ˈkjuːkʌmbər/ |
| cubic |
/ˈkjuːbɪk/ |
| custody |
/ˈkʌstədi/ |
C → /s/ before E
| Word |
IPA |
| cell |
/sel/ |
| cent |
/sent/ |
| center |
/ˈsentər/ |
| cereal |
/ˈsɪriəl/ |
| celebrate |
/ˈseləbreɪt/ |
| celebration |
/ˌseləˈbreɪʃən/ |
| ceiling |
/ˈsiːlɪŋ/ |
| cement |
/səˈment/ |
| century |
/ˈsentʃəri/ |
| certain |
/ˈsɜːrtən/ |
| certificate |
/sərˈtɪfɪkət/ |
| ceremony |
/ˈserəmoʊni/ |
| cease |
/siːs/ |
| cedar |
/ˈsiːdər/ |
| censor |
/ˈsensər/ |
| census |
/ˈsensəs/ |
| cemetery |
/ˈseməteri/ |
| central |
/ˈsentrəl/ |
| celery |
/ˈseləri/ |
| cedarwood |
/ˈsiːdərwʊd/ |
C → /s/ before I
| Word |
IPA |
| city |
/ˈsɪti/ |
| circle |
/ˈsɜːrkəl/ |
| cinema |
/ˈsɪnəmə/ |
| civil |
/ˈsɪvəl/ |
| citizen |
/ˈsɪtɪzən/ |
| cider |
/ˈsaɪdər/ |
| cigar |
/sɪˈɡɑːr/ |
| cigarette |
/ˌsɪɡəˈret/ |
| cinnamon |
/ˈsɪnəmən/ |
| circumstance |
/ˈsɜːrkəmstæns/ |
| circuit |
/ˈsɜːrkɪt/ |
| circular |
/ˈsɜːrkjələr/ |
| citation |
/saɪˈteɪʃən/ |
| civilian |
/səˈvɪliən/ |
| civilization |
/ˌsɪvələˈzeɪʃən/ |
| cipher |
/ˈsaɪfər/ |
| cistern |
/ˈsɪstərn/ |
| citrus |
/ˈsɪtrəs/ |
| circulation |
/ˌsɜːrkjəˈleɪʃən/ |
| citation |
/saɪˈteɪʃən/ |
C → /s/ before Y
| Word |
IPA |
| cycle |
/ˈsaɪkəl/ |
| cyclist |
/ˈsaɪklɪst/ |
| cycling |
/ˈsaɪklɪŋ/ |
| cylinder |
/ˈsɪlɪndər/ |
| cynical |
/ˈsɪnɪkəl/ |
| cyst |
/sɪst/ |
| cyber |
/ˈsaɪbər/ |
| cyan |
/ˈsaɪæn/ |
| cyclone |
/ˈsaɪkloʊn/ |
| cyborg |
/ˈsaɪbɔːrɡ/ |
| cyberspace |
/ˈsaɪbərspeɪs/ |
| cybernetics |
/ˌsaɪbərˈnetɪks/ |
| cytology |
/saɪˈtɑːlədʒi/ |
| cystic |
/ˈsɪstɪk/ |
| cycad |
/ˈsaɪkæd/ |
C before Consonants → /k/
CL
| Words |
| class |
| clean |
| clock |
| climb |
| cloth |
| cloud |
| clerk |
| clamp |
| clever |
| cliff |
CR
| Words |
| crab |
| cry |
| cream |
| crown |
| credit |
| crystal |
| crash |
| crop |
| create |
| crawl |
CT
| Words |
| act |
| actor |
| action |
| active |
| activity |
| factor |
| factory |
| tractor |
| practice |
| contact |
CK
| Words |
| back |
| black |
| lock |
| duck |
| packet |
| ticket |
| jacket |
| rocket |
| pocket |
| socket |
C at the End of Words → Usually /k/
| Words |
| music |
| picnic |
| public |
| republic |
| comic |
| traffic |
| panic |
| logic |
| magic |
| basic |
| fantastic |
| elastic |
| plastic |
| academic |
| historic |
| electric |
| economic |
| specific |
| domestic |
| arithmetic |
The Rule to Memorize
| Following Letter |
Sound |
| E |
/s/ |
| I |
/s/ |
| Y |
/s/ |
| A |
/k/ |
| O |
/k/ |
| U |
/k/ |
| Consonant |
/k/ |
| End of word |
Usually /k/ |
Mnemonic:
C + E, I, Y → /s/ (Soft C)
C + A, O, U, consonant, or word end → /k/ (Hard C)