• 94 words

Soft C Word List

Words where c says s, sorted by the letter that follows it: e, i or y.

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List 1: ce at the start (cent)

Words to learn. Read each word, cover it, write it, then check it.

  1. 1.centOne cent rolled under the vending machine.
  2. 2.centerPut the vase in the center of the table.
  3. 3.centuryThat barn has stood for a century.
  4. 4.cementWet cement was poured for the sidewalk.
  5. 5.cerealPour the cereal before the milk.
  6. 6.celeryThe rabbit crunched a stalk of celery.
  7. 7.censusA census counts the people in a country.
  8. 8.ceremonyThe awards ceremony starts at seven.
  9. 9.centipedeA centipede hid under the flowerpot.
  10. 10.centimeterEach square on the grid is one centimeter wide.
  11. 11.certificateShe framed her swimming certificate.
  12. 12.celebrateWe celebrate the last day with a picnic.

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All 94 words

List 1: ce at the start (cent) 12

  • celebrate We celebrate the last day with a picnic.
  • celery The rabbit crunched a stalk of celery.
  • cement Wet cement was poured for the sidewalk.
  • census A census counts the people in a country.
  • cent One cent rolled under the vending machine.
  • center Put the vase in the center of the table.
  • centimeter Each square on the grid is one centimeter wide.
  • centipede A centipede hid under the flowerpot.
  • century That barn has stood for a century.
  • cereal Pour the cereal before the milk.
  • ceremony The awards ceremony starts at seven.
  • certificate She framed her swimming certificate.

List 2: ce at the end, one syllable (face) 12

  • bounce Watch the hail bounce off the porch.
  • choice Soup or salad is your choice.
  • face The clock face glows in the dark.
  • fleece A fleece vest is warm on cold mornings.
  • force The force of the wave knocked over our castle.
  • glance Take a quick glance at the map.
  • ice The skaters waited for thicker ice.
  • once We feed the class turtle once a day.
  • sauce Stir the tomato sauce so it does not burn.
  • since It has rained every day since Monday.
  • space Leave a space after every comma.
  • twice Knock twice so I know it is you.

List 3: ce at the end, longer words (palace) 12

  • balance Keep your balance on the stepping stones.
  • distance We heard a train whistle in the distance.
  • justice The story ends with justice for the farmer.
  • lettuce Tear the lettuce into small pieces.
  • necklace She strung a necklace of painted beads.
  • notice A notice about the fair hung by the door.
  • office Take the lunch count to the office.
  • palace Guards stood outside the palace gate.
  • sentence Read the last sentence out loud.
  • service The elevator is out of service today.
  • silence The room fell into silence when the lights dimmed.
  • surface A beetle skated on the surface of the pond.

List 4: ce in the middle (recess) 12

  • cancel Heavy snow may cancel the field trip.
  • December Our play opens the first week of December.
  • decent The cafeteria makes a decent grilled cheese.
  • excellent That was an excellent catch in left field.
  • faucet The faucet in the art room drips.
  • innocent The puppy looked innocent beside the torn pillow.
  • necessary Bring only the necessary tools for the job.
  • parcel A parcel wrapped in brown paper arrived.
  • recent The most recent photo is on top.
  • recess Rain kept us inside for recess.
  • saucer Set the teacup on its saucer.
  • sincere He wrote a sincere note of thanks.

List 5: ci at the start (city) 12

  • cider Warm apple cider steamed in the mugs.
  • cinder One glowing cinder floated above the grill.
  • cinema The old cinema shows cartoons on Saturdays.
  • cinnamon Shake some cinnamon over the applesauce.
  • circle Draw a circle around the right answer.
  • circuit The runners did one circuit of the lake.
  • circular The garden has a circular stone path.
  • circus Acrobats practiced under the circus tent.
  • citizen A good citizen picks up litter.
  • citrus The kitchen smelled of citrus peel.
  • city The city lights glowed from the hilltop.
  • civil Keep the debate civil and take turns.

List 6: ci in the middle (pencil) 12

  • capacity The jug has a capacity of two liters.
  • decide Flip a coin to decide who goes first.
  • electricity The storm knocked out the electricity.
  • excited The dog gets excited when the leash jingles.
  • exercise Stretching is a gentle exercise for mornings.
  • incident The fire drill went without incident.
  • medicine The vet gave the cat its medicine.
  • participate Everyone can participate in the relay.
  • pencil The pencil behind her ear was forgotten.
  • precise A ruler gives a more precise measurement.
  • recite Each student will recite two lines.
  • specific Name one specific thing you liked.

List 7: cy (cycle) 12

  • bicycle His bicycle has a basket on the front.
  • cycle The dryer has a short cycle for towels.
  • cyclist A cyclist rang her bell at the corner.
  • cyclone The cyclone turned away from the coast.
  • cylinder Roll the clay into a long cylinder.
  • emergency The emergency exit is at the back.
  • fancy The menu had fancy gold lettering.
  • icy Walk slowly on the icy steps.
  • privacy A curtain gives the reading nook some privacy.
  • recycle We recycle bottles in the blue bin.
  • spicy The salsa was too spicy for me.
  • tricycle The toddler pedaled a red tricycle.

List 8: cc, hard then soft (accident) 10

  • accelerate Sleds accelerate on the steep part of the hill.
  • accent The actor spoke with a French accent.
  • accept Please accept this card from our class.
  • access A ramp gives access to the stage.
  • accessory A scarf is a handy winter accessory.
  • accident The vase tipped over by accident.
  • eccentric The eccentric inventor wore two watches.
  • succeed With a good plan, the team will succeed.
  • success Our garden project was a success.
  • successful Our first launch was successful.

How it works

This soft c word list sorts 94 words by the letter after the c: e, i or y. Cent, city and cycle open their groups, and a last list has double c, hard then soft, as in accident.

Read the full guide

Ce, ci and cy, list by list

Lists 1 to 4 are ce: at the start (cent, cereal), ending a one-syllable word (face, twice), ending a longer word (palace, lettuce) and in the middle (recess, faucet). Lists 5 and 6 are ci, first and then inside: city, circus, pencil, recite. List 7 is cy: cycle, icy, fancy. List 8 is cc: accident, success.

  • Circus and cycle hold both sounds: a soft c before i or y, then a hard c before u or l.
  • In List 8 say both sounds: ak-sident, suk-sess. The first c is hard because another consonant follows it.

Questions and answers

When does c make the soft sound?

When e, i or y comes right after it: cent, city, cycle. Before a, o and u, before a consonant other than h and at the end of a word, c is hard: cat, cot, cut, clap, picnic.

Why do face and dance end in a silent e?

The e keeps the c soft. Without it the c would be the last letter of the word, where it is hard, as in picnic and music. In face the e also makes the a long.

Does ci always say s?

No. In an ending with another vowel after it, ci says sh: special, musician, delicious. Those are not soft c words, and none is on these lists.

Are there words that break the soft c rule?

Very few. Soccer has a hard c before e, and facade a soft c before a. The same e, i, y rule for g has everyday rule-breakers such as get, give and girl; see the soft g words.

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