When do you use Hard C/G or Soft C/G in a word?

Question

There are specific letters that must follow C/G to know which enunciation is correct.

Answer 1

The pronunciation of the letters “C” and “G” in English can be either hard or soft, depending on the letters that follow them:

Hard C/G:

• Hard C is pronounced like a “k” sound, as in “cat” or “corn.”

• Hard G is pronounced like a “g” sound, as in “go” or “garden.”

When to use Hard C/G:

• When “C” or “G” is followed by the vowels a, o, or u (e.g., cat, cot, cut, gate, goat, gull).

• When “C” or “G” is followed by a consonant (e.g., clap, grass).

Soft C/G:

• Soft C is pronounced like an “s” sound, as in “cent” or “city.”

• Soft G is pronounced like a “j” sound, as in “giraffe” or “giant.”

When to use Soft C/G:

• When “C” or “G” is followed by the vowels e, i, or y (e.g., cell, city, cycle, gentle, giant, gym).

Exceptions:

There are a few exceptions where the expected hard or soft pronunciation doesn’t follow the typical rules. For example, “get” has a hard G, even though it’s followed by “e.”

By recognizing the letters that follow “C” and “G,” you can usually determine whether the pronunciation should be hard or soft.

Answer 2

Generally, Hard C/G is used when followed by an "a" (car/gas), a "u" (cup/gun), an "o" (cop/got), or the other consonants (crazy/gravy).

Soft C/G is used when followed by an "e" (center/gem), an "i" (cinder/gin), or a "y" (cymbal/gym). Of course, there are a few exceptions.