Focused phonics guideConsonant patterns

Why does c sound different in cat and city?

Quick answer

C commonly represents /k/ in cat and cup, but often represents /s/ before e, i or y, as in cent, city and cycle. The e-i-y clue is useful but not exception-free.

Pattern to notice

Soft C and hard C

c

Where this fits in the phonics journey

Pattern decoding

This concept builds beyond basic CVC reading by teaching a reusable spelling or sound pattern. The prerequisite and next-step links on this page show the surrounding learning sequence.

What the child should be able to do

Use the following letter as a clue to predict whether c is likely to represent /k/ or /s/ and then verify the word.

When this pattern does not apply

The e-i-y clue is useful, not absolute. Children should predict and check rather than assume every c before e, i or y is soft.

Reading use

Contrast hard c in cat and cup with soft c before e, i or y in words such as cent, city and cycle.

Spelling use

Use the soft-c/hard-c contrast to support word study, but retain the correct spelling of each known word.

Tiny Steps curriculum connection

Direct lesson alignment

  • Early PhonicsLesson 28: Soft C and Hard C
  • Advanced PhonicsLesson 13: Soft C and G, Hard C and G

How to teach this pattern

  • Contrast hard-c and soft-c words and inspect what follows c.
  • Use the e-i-y clue as a prediction that is checked against a known word.

Common confusions to watch for

  • Assuming c always represents /k/ because that was its first taught sound.
  • Presenting the e-i-y clue as an absolute rule.

Simple practice ideas

  • Sort c words by /k/ and /s/.
  • Highlight the letter after c and predict the likely sound before reading.

Learning sequence

Explore related phonics patterns

More from consonant patterns

These links are selected from the published Tiny Steps phonics graph, prioritising nearby patterns in the same family before adjacent curriculum concepts.

Browse all phonics resources →
Soft G and hard GG commonly represents hard /g/ as in game, but often represents /j/ before e, i or y, as in gem and giant. The context clue is useful but has exceptions.CH digraphIn early phonics, ch is commonly taught as one grapheme representing /ch/ in words such as chat, chip and much. Less common pronunciations can be introduced later.KN and the silent KIn familiar words beginning with kn, the spelling represents /n/: knot sounds like not. Children can recognise the written pair while attending to the single initial sound.NG digraphN and g frequently work together as the grapheme ng, representing /ng/ in words such as sing, ring and long.

Related Tiny Steps resources

Keep the pattern inside the bigger reading pathway

Back to Phonics & Reading →
Read the related guide/blog/digraphs-and-tricky-wordsRead the related guide/blog/phonics-rules-for-beginnersUse focused practice/free-word-building-games-for-kids

Your next learning step

Continue with the learning path that matches this need

If this is the same need you see in your child, the relevant programme is the most useful next step.

Explore the Tiny Steps phonics programme