Perfect Pronunciation: letter c pronunciation guide

Many English students are confused by letter c pronunciation. The main problem being that when learning new vocabulary, nobody seems quite sure when they should to use the hard “c” sound: /k/ or the soft “c” sound: /s/.

Follow these two really simple rules to ensure that letter c pronunciation will never confuse you again:

• If the “c” comes before the letters i, e, or y then we use the soft /s/ sound.

• If the “c” comes before ANY other letter in the alphabet, we use the hard /k/ sound.

And that’s it – it really is that simple!

Below I’ve created a small table with a list of some words so that you can practice. Remember, it’s an /s/ sound if the c is before i, e and y, for all other letters we use the /k/ sound.

Try pronouncing the words in the table to improve and perfect your letter c pronunciation.

[table id=7 /]

And, please remember, you can always comment or email me if you have any confusion or questions.

Michael

**Learn English with Michael one-to-one and practice your letter c pronunciation directly from a qualified native British English teacher**