Letter
Originally when one wrote a Latin letter ⟨c⟩ in English, it always meant /k/ just as it always used to mean that in Latin itself. So the English poet Caedmon's name started off with just as much of a /k/ sound as did Caesar's.
This alternation is caused by a historical palatalization of /k/ which took place in Late Latin, and led to a change in the pronunciation of the sound [k] before the front vowels [e] and [i].
CH = /K/ In words of Greek origin, “ch” is usually pronounced as /k/. The word character, for example, comes from the classical Greek kharaktēr (meaning “engraved mark”). More examples of words with the /k/ sound are anchor, chaos, echo, mechanic, orchestra, psychology, school, and stomach.
In 1-syllable words use the letter 'c' with the vowels a, o, u. 'c' is the most common spelling for /k/ at the beginning of words. Examples: cap cop cup. Use the letter 'k' with the vowels i and e. Examples: kit Ken kin.
Okay this gets confusing because the word Christ is pronounced with a long I and Christmas is pronounced with a short i and no t. That t is silent.
To make the /ʃ/ sound:
To make /ʃ/, place the tip of your tongue at the front of the top of your mouth, behind where the /s/ is produced. Push air between the top of your mouth and the tip of your tongue. Do not vibrate your vocal cords. Problems with playback may be resolved by refreshing the page.
This alternation has its origins in a historical palatalization of /ɡ/ which took place in Late Latin, and led to a change in the pronunciation of the sound [ɡ] before the front vowels [e] and [i]. Later, other languages not descended from Latin, such as English, inherited this feature as an orthographic convention.
When c is in front of an i, y, or e, it is soft and says /s/. For example: city, cycle, and race. When c is in front of any other letter, it is hard and says /k/. For example: camera, car, and cone.
The letter “g” makes the /j/ sound when followed by an “e,” “i” or “y” in a word that is often derived from Greek or Latin (these languages do not use the “j” symbol to represent the /j/ sound). I like to refer to the “g” making the /j/ sound as being a part of the Stick Vowel Rule. Let us look at a few examples: gem.
Further research has argued that because K has the same sound as a hard C, companies can generate unusual spellings for their products (e.g. Kit-Kat, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts) which, again, and because of uniqueness, has the potential to enhance brand name recall and recognition.
Silent C: The letter C is silent when it is in the letter combination of SC. Examples: scissors, ascent, fascinate, muscle. The letter C is also silent before the letters K and Q. Examples: block, puck, lock, acknowledge, aqua, acquit, acquiesce.
When we are talking about beginning sounds, we use C when the first vowel in the word is an A, O, or U. Check out the pictures below that help us remember the c or k rule! These short vowel sounds help us remember when the letter c is used. We use K when the first vowel in the word is an I or E.
Ezh (Ʒ ʒ) /ˈɛʒ/, also called the "tailed z", is a letter the lower case form of which is used in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), representing the voiced postalveolar fricative consonant.
To make /ʒ/, place the tip of your tongue at the front of the top of your mouth, behind where the /s/ is produced. Vibrate your vocal cords as you push air between the top of your mouth and the tip of your tongue.
This split between rhotic and non-rhotic pronunciation has its origins in London in the 1850s. Working-class speakers began dropping the /r/ sound at the ends of words. Back then, this was considered lazy, vulgar and an undesirable way of speaking. Over time though, the change spread.
In the word, 'scissors', the 'c' is silent.
British English is non-rhotic. The letter "r" is not pronounced after vowels, unless it is also followed by a vowel. The letter r can indicate a change in the quality of the vowel that precedes it. So "hard" /hɑːd/" but "had" /hæd/.
The letter "g" comes close to following a phonics rule similar to the one for the letter "c." For example, it is always pronounced /g/ unless it is followed by an "e," "i" or "y." Thus, we have game, got, and gum, as well as glad, grand, and rugby.
Here's the general rule: When c or g meets a, o, or u, its sound is hard. When c or g meets e, i, or y, its sound is soft. See also: Guide to Spelling.
Phonics (Spelling Rules)
Kiss the cat: Spell /k/ with a c whenever you can (CAT). When you can't spell /k/ with a c because a watch out vowel(e,i,or y) is the next letter (KISS), spell it with a k.