listbeeConsonant teams and blends
Soft c and soft g words
C and g each have a hard sound (cat, go) and a soft sound (city, gem). The letter right after them usually decides which one you hear.
- Sound
- c says /s/ and g says /j/
- Usually taught
- 2nd–3rd grade
- Words on this page
- 26 in 2 lists
Soft c and soft g words: word lists
Practice a list online (each word is read aloud), or open it in the worksheet maker to print a test, word search, or look-cover-write-check sheet.
Soft c
14 words- city
- cent
- cell
- circle
- face
- race
- place
- nice
- rice
- ice
- dance
- fence
- pencil
- circus
Soft g
12 words- gem
- gym
- giant
- germ
- giraffe
- cage
- page
- stage
- huge
- large
- orange
- change
How the pattern works
When c comes before e, i or y, it usually says /s/: cent, city, fancy. Before a, o, u or a consonant, it says /k/: cat, cot, cut, clap.
G follows the same pattern, but less reliably: gem, giant and gym are soft, while get, give, girl and gift are hard.
At the end of a word, -ce and -ge keep the sound soft: face, dance, cage, large.
Common mistakes
- Writing s for soft c: “sity,” “fase.”
- Writing j for soft g: “jem,” “caje.”
- Dropping the final e in -ce and -ge words, which turns the sound hard.
Practice ideas
- Circle the letter after each c or g. If it is e, i or y, predict a soft sound, then check.
- Notice the two sounds in circus: the first c is soft, the second is hard.
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