Soft C Sound
Related Pages
Phonic Sounds
Consonant Digraph
Other Consonant Sounds
English for Kids
Videos and songs to help Kindergarten kids learn how to pronounce the soft C sound.
Usually, when “c” is followed by the vowel e, i or y the “c” is soft and sounds like “s”.
The Soft Sound of “C”
The letter C makes a soft sound pronounced as /s/ (like the sound of “S”). This sound occurs in specific spelling patterns and is softer compared to the hard C sound (/k/).
Learn the Hard C Sound
When Does the Letter “C” Make the Soft Sound?
The soft “C” sound /s/ typically occurs when the letter “C” is followed by the vowels E, I, or Y.
Examples of Soft “C” Words:
Before E:
cent, cell, ceiling, celebrate
Before I:
city, circle, cinema, civil
Before Y:
cycle, cylinder, fancy
The following diagram shows some examples of words that have the soft c sound. Scroll down the page for more examples and songs to help you learn how to pronounce words with the soft c sound.
Have a look at the following tables to compare hard C and soft C words for the letter C in the beginning, middle or ending of the words.
Hard C Sound
Pronunciation: /k/ (like the sound of “K”).
When It Happens:
- Before the vowels A, O, U (e.g., cat, cot, cup).
- At the beginning or end of many words. (e.g. corn, coat, picnic, comic).
- In consonant clusters (e.g., clap, crisp).
The Silent C
In some words, the “C” is silent and not pronounced.
Examples: muscle, scissors, ascend
Learn about the Silent C
Free worksheets to help students practice writing the letter C and the Alphabet.
Letter c Worksheet (lower case)
Letter C Worksheet (upper case)
Write Lower Case Letters
Write Upper Case Letters
Rhymes or songs with a mix of hard and soft C sounds
Sound of Soft C
Learn the other sound of C.
Hard C and Soft C
Phonics with the Soft (C) sound
Soft (c) before e,i, and y.
Hard and Soft C and G
Two Sounds Made by C song
soft c - Phonics
Words with the soft sound of the letter C.
Soft C
Words with -CE.
Learn the sound of the letters
Learning Short Vowels
| Short Vowels | ||
|---|---|---|
| Short A | Short E | Short I |
| Short O | Short U | Short Vowels |
Learning Long Vowels
| Long Vowels | ||
|---|---|---|
| Long A | Long E | Long I |
| Long O | Long U | Y (vowel) |
| Long Vowels | Short & Long Vowels | |
Compare Short & Long Vowels
| Short & Long Vowels | ||
|---|---|---|
| Short & Long A | Short & Long E | Short & Long I |
| Short & Long O | Short & Long U | |
Learning Consonants
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