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Soft C and soft G
c and g go soft before e, i and y.
Grades 1-5
The rule
Before e, i or y, the letter c says /s/ and the letter g usually says /j/. Before a, o or u they keep their hard sounds.
How it works
| city, cent, cycle | c before e, i, y → soft /s/ |
| cat, cot, cut | c before a, o, u → hard /k/ |
| gem, giant, gym | g before e, i, y → soft /j/ |
| gap, got, gum | g before a, o, u → hard /g/ |
| chance, large | silent e keeps the c and g soft |
Watch out for
- G is less reliable than c. Get, give, girl, gift and begin all keep a hard g before e or i.
- This is why a silent e is needed on the end of chance and large — without it the c and g would go hard.