LETTER C /S/

Front

What are the common spellings of the /s/ sound?

Back

c, ce, ss, sc, st, se

Front

Known as the Rule of c the rule specifies that the letter "c" represents the /s/ sound only when followed by one of the letters "e", "i", or "y"

Back

for example:

• - city

• - certain

• - dancing

• - ecocycle

• They are followed directly before an e, i, y

Front

Although the "Rule of c" is generally reliable, this is English, so there are some exceptions. In the United States, they are relatively few.

Back

"Soccer" would be pronounced sokser if it followed the rule and "muscle" would be muskle. And in British English, you will encounter a few spellings like "sceptic" whereas we in the US have changed the spelling to "skeptic" to comport with the rule.

Front

to follow the rule we even add the letter "k" to words like picnic and panic when adding a suffix starting with "e," "i" or "y,"

Back

we have picnicking, panicked and panicky.