soft c

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /sɒft siː/
• (US) enPR: säft sē, IPA^(key): /sɑːft siː/

Noun

soft c (plural soft cs)

1. (phonology) In many languages, a letter "c" which is not pronounced as a velar stop (/k/, like English "k") but as a sibilant (/s/, like English "s") or an affricative (/tʃ/, like English "ch").

Examples

1. In English, the "c" sound in "cent", "central" and "circuit" as distinct from the hard c in "cat" and "cabin".
2. In Italian, the "c" sound in "certo" as distinct from the "c" sound in "caffè".