The Soft C
![](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26908/normal/26718_Thumbnail-01.jpg?1682005103)
Basics on the topic The Soft C
Join Dee and Kala and learn about soft C.
Transcript The Soft C
"Dee! What on Earth is going on in here?!" "Oh. I am trying to soften the letter C." "You don't soften C by warming it up! You do it by putting certain letters after it!" Let's learn what Kala means by explaining the soft C. You may already know that the letter C says c as in cake, cot, click or cucumber. But, the letter C can also make another, softer sound. It can say s just like the letter S. But this doesn't happen all the time. It can happen when the letter C is followed by one of three specific letters. E, I or Y. Let's say them with Kala! CE, CI, CY, S. The E, I and Y work their magic on C, softening the sound it makes in a word. Let’s look at some CE examples! C says S in celery, face and ice because the letter E comes straight after the letter C in each of these words. If we read these words with the hard c sound, that would be incorrect. For example, kelery doesn't sound right. Now let’s look at some CI examples! The first C in circus and circle says S because the letter I comes straight after the first C in each of these words. The second C in both of these words still makes the hard c sound because other letters come after them. Finally, let’s look at CY examples! C says S at the beginning of cycle and the end of spicy because the letter Y comes straight after C in both examples. Now that we know about the soft C, let's try sorting words with hard and soft C sounds. The first word is cement, does this word have a hard or soft C? It has a soft C since it is followed by the letter E which makes it say S, cement. How about the word cat, does this word have a hard or soft C? It has a hard C since it is not followed by an E, I or Y. It is followed by an A, so it says c, cat. What about the last example, city? It has a soft C since it is followed by the letter I which makes it say S, city. Now that Dee knows the correct way to soften the letter C, let's remember! Today we learnt about the soft C which makes the sound S. C can say S when an E, I or a Y comes straight after it in a word. When it is followed by any other letter, the C makes the harder c sound. "Um, I will be right back, Kala." "Why? Where are you going?" “I need to get the letter G out of the bath.” "The bath?!” “Yes, I was trying to soften it too, but now I realise that’s probably not how you do it either.” "You are correct, Dee, but we'll talk about that another time!"
The Soft C exercise
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Which letters follow c when it makes a soft sound?
HintsLook at the pictures next to each gap. What is the next letter in each of those words?
Listen to the words being said.
Read this word:
cat
Does it start with a /c/ sound or a /s/ sound?
The word cat starts with a /c/ sound so if the letter a comes after c, the c makes a hard sound, not a soft sound.
SolutionIf c is followed e, i or y, it makes a soft, /s/ sound.
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Choose the correct spelling.
HintsEven though you might hear the /s/ sound in these words, is it a letter s that is making that sound?
A word often has a soft c in when the c is followed by e, i or y.
There are three words with the soft c in them.
SolutionThe words ice, pencil and fancy all contain the soft c sound. In these words, c is followed by e, i and y.
The word sad is spelt with an s. The /s/ sound is followed by /a/.
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Can you find the matching pairs?
HintsSound out each word with a hard c and a soft c, which one sounds correct? Then match the correct sounding word with the picture.
Remember to look for digraphs and split digraphs when sounding out.
If c is followed by an e or i, it often makes a soft sound.
There are two words with a soft c and two words with a hard c.
SolutionHere we can see the pictures sorted correctly.
Circus and mice have soft c sounds. The first c in circus is soft, it is followed by i. The second c is hard.
Coconut and cook have hard c sounds.
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Which words have a soft c and which words have a hard c?
HintsSound out each word with a hard c and a soft c, which one sounds correct?
Let's look at this word: exciting.
If we sound it out with a hard c we get the word exkiting.
If we sound it out with a soft c we get the word exciting.
Which one is correct?
Remember, if c is followed by an i or y, the c makes a soft sound.
SolutionCrane, cutlery and clap have a hard c sound.
Bouncy, racing and exciting have a soft c sound.
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Which words have a soft c sound?
HintsListen carefully, do you hear a /c/ sound like in can or a /s/ sound like in ice?
There are two correct choices.
SolutionFace and tracing have soft c sounds.
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Can you find the soft c words?
HintsSound out each word with a hard c and a soft c, which one sounds correct?
Remember to look for digraphs, trigraphs and split digraphs when sounding out.
Remember, if a c is followed by e, i or y, it often makes a soft sound.
There are four words with the soft c sound in them.
SolutionCity, ace, cereal and fence have the soft c sound in them.
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26026/normal/25676_thumbnail-01.jpg?1666791145)
Rhyming Words
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26911/normal/26911_The_Letter_S_thumbnail_UK.jpg?1691654537)
The Letter S
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26928/normal/26928_thumbnail.jpg?1694529083)
The Letter A
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26957/normal/26957_The_Letter_T_thumbnail_UK.jpg?1691488929)
The Letter T
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26984/normal/26876_thumbnailUK-01.jpg?1702049317)
The Letter P
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26936/normal/26936_The_Letter_I_thumbnail_UK.jpg?1694530689)
The Letter I
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26983/normal/26874_thumbnailUK-01.jpg?1702049619)
The Letter N
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26940/normal/26927_thumbnahilo%CC%88-01.jpg?1695897541)
The Letter M
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26931/normal/26918_THUMBNAIL_UK.jpg?1691491103)
The Letter D
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26934/normal/26934_The_Letter_G_thumbnail_UK.jpg?1692628346)
The Letter G
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26905/normal/26905_thumbnail.jpg?1704368304)
The Letter O
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26938/normal/26925_thumbnailk-01.jpg?1695741005)
The Letter K
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26935/normal/26935_The_Letter_H_thumbnail_UK.jpg?1692087420)
The Letter H
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26932/normal/26919_THUMBNAIL_UK.jpg?1694529837)
The Letter E
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26912/normal/26912_Thumbnail.jpg?1693816924)
The Letter R
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26989/normal/26989_The_Letter_U_thumbnail_UK.jpg?1692882058)
The Letter U
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26939/normal/26939_thumbnail.jpg?1704448068)
The Letter L
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26929/normal/26916_thumbnailbUK-01.jpg?1702050176)
The Letter B
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26933/normal/26920_THUMBNAIL_UK.jpg?1693997056)
The Letter F
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26937/normal/26937_The_Letter_J_thumbnail_UK.jpg?1693907717)
The Letter J
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26991/normal/26991_thumbnail.jpg?1691583674)
The Letter Q(u)
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26986/normal/26986_The_Letter_W_thumbnail_UK.jpg?1692607185)
The Letter W
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26985/normal/26985_The_Letter_V_thumbnail_UK.jpg?1701446184)
The Letter V
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26987/normal/26884_thumbnailx-01.jpg?1694177680)
The Letter X
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26990/normal/26990_The_Letter_Y_thumbnail_UK.jpg?1694178387)
The Letter Y
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26988/normal/26885_The_Letter_Z_thumbnail_UK.jpg?1692794976)
The Letter Z
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26810/normal/25812_thumbnailUK-01.jpg?1682333859)
Consonant Letter Sounds
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26318/normal/26318_ELA_thumbnail_Zeichenfla%CC%88che_1.jpg?1666700491)
Matching Letters to Consonant & Vowel Sounds— Let's Practise!
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26322/normal/25806_Thumbnail-01.jpg?1662043066)
CVC Words: The Initial Consonant
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26304/normal/25807_thumbnail_Artboard_1_copy_3.jpg?1679393836)
CVC Words: The Middle Vowel
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26299/normal/25808_Thumbnail-01.jpg?1673880908)
CVC Sounds: The Final Consonant
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26040/normal/25809_thumbnail_Artboard_1_copy_3.jpg?1664532851)
CVC Words
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/25773/normal/25650_Thumbnail-01.jpg?1658758560)
Long and short Vowel sounds
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/25590/normal/25590_Thumbnail-01.jpg?1660915124)
Words, Syllables & Sounds
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26947/normal/26781_thumbnail-01.jpg?1691576996)
Consonant Blends
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26012/normal/25805_Thumbnail-01.jpg?1665734633)
Onsets & Rimes
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26325/normal/25810_Thumbnail-01.jpg?1664792426)
Decoding: Look at the Picture
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26309/normal/25811_Thumbnail.jpg?1666618418)
Decoding: Stretch out the Word
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26025/normal/25677_Thumbnailuk-01.jpg?1666780965)
Counting & Segmenting Syllables
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26523/normal/26270_thumbnail-01.jpg?1680170596)
Final 'E' and Split Digraphs
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26945/normal/26785_Thumbnail-01.jpg?1684937562)
Adjacent Consonants _r
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/27255/normal/26786_Thumbnail-01.jpg?1716470469)
Adjacent Consonants l
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26908/normal/26718_Thumbnail-01.jpg?1682005103)
The Soft C
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/26909/normal/26909_thumbail.jpg?1682089809)
The Soft G
![video image](https://images.cdn.sofatutor.net/videos/pictures/27055/normal/27007_Thumbnail-01.jpg?1686928100)
Alternative Pronunciation y (I)