Decoding the letter C

The letter **C**, lowercase **c** (pronounced /siː/) normally represents the sounds /k/ (call, come, cut, close, cry, music), except before "e", "i" or "y" where it represents /s/ (center, place, city, policy). Followed by two vowels it can represent /ʃ/ (ocean, commercial).

See also: Decoding exercises: "ch".

## "Ca", "co", "cu", etc.

**IPA consonants**

"C" sounds /k/ everywhere except in "ce", ci", and "cy", i.e. followed by "a", "o", "u" or a consonant, or at the end of the word.

* At the begininng of the word:

"ca", "co", "cu": call, can, car, case, come, company, cost, could, country, course, cup, cut
"cl", "cr": class, clean, clear, clearly, clock, close, clothes, club, create, credit, cross, cry
* In the middle of the word:

accept, accord, account, actually, because, become, effect, expect, fact, include, increase, mathematics, occur, politics, product, public, second
Exceptions as /s/: Caesar, caesium*BrE* *(AmE is* cesium), facade *(French façade)*
* At the end of the word, all common words end in "ic": academic, basic, characteristic, classic, critic, domestic, economic, electronic, music, public, scientific, specific, topic, traffic

Other: maniac, mollusc*BrE* *(AmE is* mollusk), havoc
* With "ck":

At the end of the word: attack, back, black, check, clock, lack, pick, quick, stock, track
In the middle of the word: acknowledge, background, chicken, jacket, lucky, package, pocket, quickly, ticket
## "Ce", "ci" or "cy"

### Followed by one vowel

Always as /s/.

* At the beginning of the word: celebrate - cell - cent - center - central - century - certain - certainly - circle - circumstance - citizen - city - civil - cycle

* In the middle of the word: accept - access - agency - decision - excellent - except - facility - frequency - necessary - officer - percent - policy - process - recent - specific - success

Exceptions as /k/: ASCII /ˈæskɪ/ - Macintosh - Quebecer /kwɪˈbekər/ - sceptic*BrE* *(AmE is* skeptic) - soccer - synced /sɪŋkt/ (past tense of "sinc", abbreviation of "synchronize")
Exceptions as /tʃ/: cappuccino, cello, concerto, sotto voce /ˌsɒtəʊ ˈvəʊtʃiː/, vermicelli, violoncello
* Ending in "ce" (see also silent e): difference - experience - face - force - nice - office - once - place - price - produce - service - since

### Followed by two or more vowels

As /s/
* At the beginning of the word: cease - cyanide
* In the middle of the word: conceal - decease - society - sociology

As /ʃ/
* with "ci": delicious - financial - official - precious - social - special
* with "ce": crustacean - ocean - oceanic /əʊʃɪˈænɪk/

As /ʃ/ or /ʒ/
* coercion: /kəʊˈɜːrʃən/, /kəʊˈɜːrʒən/*AmE*

## Silent "c"

* indictment /ɪnˈdaɪtmənt/ - muscle
* Connecticut /kəˈnetɪkət/ - Tucson /ˈtuːsɒn/
* "ces" as /s/: Gloucester /ˈɡlɒstər/ - Leicester /ˈlestər/ - Worcester /ˈwʊstər/

## Homophones

* ceiling - sealing; cellar - seller; cent - sent; cereal - serial; cite - sight - site; colonel - kernel; scene - seen;

## C in combinations

* "ch" normally sounds /tʃ/ and it can sound /k/ or /ʃ/. See Decoding exercises: "ch".
* "cz"

* as /tʃ/: Czech
* eczema: /ˈeksɪmə/*BrE* *AmE*, /ɪɡˈziːmə/*AmE*

In the following cases, apply the rules for each individual letter, but if the result contains two sounds (/kk/ or /ss/) then leave only one (/k/ or /s/).

* "cc"

* As /k/: acclaim - account - accurate - raccoon - tobacco
* As /ks/: accept - accident - occidental - success

Exception as /k/: soccer
* "ck" always as /k/. Examples in #"Ca", "co", "cu", etc.
* "cq" always as /k/: acquaintance - acquire
* "cs" always as /ks/: ecstasy, facsimile (fax), mathematics, physics
* "sc"

* /sk/: describe - discount - discover - discuss - escape - score - screen
* /s/: discipline - fascinate - scene - science

Exception, "sce" as /ske/: sceptic*BrE* *(AmE is* skeptic)
* /ʃ/: conscious

* "xc"
	+ /ksk/: exclude - excuse
	+ /ks/: excellent - exceed - except - excess - excitement