Key learning points

1. Soft c and hard c refer to two different sounds that the letter c can represent in English spelling.
2. If the vowel letters ‘a’, ‘o’ or ‘u’ or a consonant letter follows the letter c it is pronounced as a hard c.
3. If the vowel letters ‘e’, ‘i’ or ‘y’ follow the letter c it is pronounced as a soft c.
4. How to spell the curriculum words: decide, notice and centre.

Keywords

• Soft c - sounds like 's' in words like 'city', 'cereal' or 'mercy'

• Hard c - sounds like 'k' in words like 'cat', 'cup', 'coat or 'climb'

• Vowel letters - the letters ‘a’, ‘e’, ‘i’, ‘o’, ‘u’ (and sometimes ‘y’) that represent vowel sounds

• Consonant letters - all the letters in the alphabet that represent consonant sounds

Common misconception