In this lesson, we will learn about all the sounds of the letter C. It is the third letter of the English alphabet.

The Letter 'C' in the English Alphabet

'C' is the third letter in the English alphabet. It is a consonant in the English language.

Consonants are the letters that are produced by stopping the letter from flowing easily.

Uppercase Form C
Lowercase c
Name si (pronounced /ˈsi:/)
Common Sounds /s/, /k/, /∅/, /ʃ/

Pie Chart of 'c' Pronunciation in American English

The Letter C: Sounds

Common Sounds

In English, the letter c mainly has four sounds:

Sound 1: /s/

c (before e, i, y) as in 'city' has the /s/ sound:

city /ˈsɪt̬.i/

certificate /sɚˈtɪf.ə.kət/

cinema /ˈsɪn.ə.mə/

cylinder /ˈsɪl.ɪn.dɚ/

Sound 2: /k/

c before other vowels as in 'car' has the /k/ sound:

car /kɑːr/

cactus /ˈkæk.təs/

camp /kæmp/

Sound 3: /∅/

'c' can be silent too:

indict /ˌɪnˈdaɪt/

Tucson /ˈtuːsɒn/

Connecticut /kəˈnɛt.ɪ.kət/

Sound 4: /ʃ/

There are also a few instances in English where 'c' can produce a /ʃ/ sound:

ocean /ˈoʊ.ʃən/

social /ˈsoʊ.ʃəl/

sufficient /səˈfɪʃənt/

The Letter C: Multigraphs

Letter c can sometimes be combined with other vowels or consonants to produce a different sound:

cc

'cc' before i, e, y generally represents /ks/:

accident /ˈæk.sə.dənt/

succeed /səkˈsiːd/

coccyx /ˈkɑːk.sɪks/

ch

'ch' commonly has three sounds:

  • /tʃ/
  • /ʃ/
  • /k/

1. 'c' in combination with 'h' generally represents /tʃ/:

torch /tɔːr/

church /ɝː/

chop /ɑːp/

cheer /ɪr/

2. 'ch' also has the /ʃ/ sound in French loanwords:

machine /məˈʃiːn/

moustache /ˈmʌs.tæʃ/

chef /ʃef/

3. 'c' combined with 'h' also sounds /k/:

choreography /ˌkɔːr.iˈɑː.ɡrə.fi/

choir /ˈkwaɪ.ɚ/

chord /kɔːrd/

Tip!

Remember that in the word schedule /sk/ is pronounced in American English; however, in British English, 's' is pronounced with 'che' as /ʃ/.

schedule /ˈskɛdʒʊl/

ck

'c' in 'ck' has the sound /k/, in other words 'ck' sounds /k/:

bucket /ˈbʌk.ɪt/

sock /sɑːk/

duck /dʌk/

sc

'sc' has the sound /s/:

scientist /ˈsaɪən.tɪst/

scent /sent/

sci

'sc' in 'sci' has the /ʃ/ sound:

conscious /ˈkɑːn.ʃəs/

luscious /ˈlʌʃ.əs/

conscience /ˈkɑːn.ʃəns/

cqu

'cq' in 'cqu' has the sound /k/:

acquire /əˈkwaɪɚ/

acquaint /əˈkweɪnt/

racquet /ˈræk.ɪt/

cio

'c' in 'cio' has the /ʃ/ sound:

vicious /ˈvɪʃ.əs/

delicious /dɪˈlɪʃ.əs/

The Letter C: Uses

The letter c is also
An abbreviation used instead of Celsius or centigrade after numbers: 10C
A computer programming language
A grade or mark at universities like c+ c-
A musical note

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