Adult Reading Lessons: Alphabet Letter C

Adult learners use this page to explore the sounds each alphabet letter can make. Using IPA symbols helps prepare learners for using a dictionary. Word drills provide structured reading practice using lists of words grouped by sound and take learners on the next step in their reading journey.

Goal: recognize and name the letter C; learn all the sounds of letter C. Goodness gracious! Forget cat. C for chocolate icecream!

Introducing C sounds

Click, Listen, and Repeat

Name IPA Symbol Examples
Hard C
c sounds like k
as in cat:
-
, , .
Try drill 1.
Soft C
c sounds like s
as in cell:
-
, , .
Try drill 18.
Hard ck
c really sounds like k at the end
as in kick:
-
, , .
Try drill 36.
c sounds like sh as in machine:
-
, .
ch sounds like tsh as in chin:
-
, , .
Try drill 31.
Ch sounds like k as in chorus: - .

Did you notice the letter c does not have a sound of its own?

C has a soft sound like S before vowels e, i and y as in cell, city, cycle. It has a hard sound like k before a, o, and u as in cat, cot, cup.

Try our popup letter combo tool: or

C at the end of a word is almost always a hard C. But just so you don't forget, a convention developed to add a k. Such words end in CK as in puck, duck, click.

Try our popup letter combo tool:

C, when followed by e or i before another vowel, unites with e or i to form the sound of sh. So gracious is pronounced gra'shus.

Try our popup letter combo tool:

H can join with several consonants to form new consonant sounds as in Ch, Sh, Th, Gh, and Ph. Learn the power of H.

Try our popup letter combo tool:


Try these C words;

cap , cape , clean , chew , cob , coal , cut , clue .

Do you know these C Words?

Do you know which C word matches the picture? Click, listen, and learn.