is there a phonic rule in this funny english language

[loosinas]

to explain why the c makes the sound it does in words like prince, dance Cinderellaand when it does it ??

Soft c when followed by I or e. hard if a u or o. Exceptions with some words from other language roots!

C is soft when followed by c, i and y.

I have been explaining it to my elder child because of my younger child's name. I don't know if there is a special name for the rule though.

Oops, I meant e, i and y.

Only getting used it it myself, but /c/ is softened and sounds /s/ when it comes before 'e' and 'i' and 'y', so that's why 'celebrity', Cinderella, cycle, cynical, celery,e.t.c. all have the /s/ sound.

HTH

The sound can be written
s - snail
ss- grass
sc= scissors
st - castle
ci - circus
cy- cycle- Lucy
ce- ceiling - Grace
se - house

I'd be careful about talking about 'rules' because, as someone pointed out, it all depends on which language contributed the word.

'g' follows much the same pattern as 'c' in that when followed by 'i', 'e', or 'y' it can be a /j/ sound ('soft' g), but usually only in words which come from Norman French (or Greek?), e.g. 'age', 'agile' 'gym'. In words of Germanic origin the 'g' remains 'hard', e.g. 'get', 'give'.

I always tell pupils to look for 'probabilities'...

Or, alternatively, for every rule there are exceptions!!

My dd started reading and writing in Hungarian where there are 44 letters in the alphabet and each one makes a specific sound. As a result spelling follows a pattern. She is now learning in English and I am forever pointing out the exceptions; English really is a trial. PS We are Scottish but live in Hungary in case you think that I am being a pain. Thanks for pointing out this particular sometime spelling rule, it will be the topic today after the end of school.

Thanks for this thread. mrz do you have a list similar to the one you posted above, but for other sounds?

I agree with maizieD. Young children find rules very difficult to remember. If a spelling can represent more than one sound, you need to point out that the spelling in question can be X, or it can be Y. So, for example, if the word is 'Gemma' and the child reads the as 'g', instead of 'j', you say: "This," pointing to the letter , "can be 'g' but in some words it can also be 'j'. Try 'j' in this word." What should happen is that the child will say say the sounds and read the word correctly.

timetoask, you need to download an alphabet code chart:

www.phonicbooks.co.uk/pdf/Phonic_Code_Table_with_ng_colour_%2022.8.11.pdf

timetoask there is a very good one atwww.phonicsinternational.com/unit1_pdfs/DH%20Alph%20Code%20overview%20with%20teaching%20points%20-%20A4x7.pdf

and another at
www.sounds-write.co.uk/docs/sounds_write_common_spellings_of_the_consonants_and_vowels.pdf

Thank you mrz and maverick, ds is really good at sounding out words but all these exceptions are difficult to explain!

Children usually happily accept that a single sound can be written in different ways - they are introduced to the idea quite early with "c" "k" and "ck" so when we start to teach the alternative ways of writing other sounds it doesn't seem odd. The also learn early in the process that "th" can be pronounced in different ways (represent different sounds) so when they meet other examples they take it their stride.