The New Student's Reference Work/C

C (se), the third letter of the alphabet, represents two consonants: s and k. The s sound is called soft c, the k sound hard c. C before e, i or y is a hissing s, as in cede. When e or i is followed by another vowel in the same syllable, c is sh, as in oceanic. In a few words c is z, as in sacrifice. C before a, o, u or a consonant represents the k sound, as in call, cold, culminate, climax. C after a syllable not followed by e or i also equals k, as in arc. So, too, in sceptic and scirrous. It is silent in corpuscle, czar, indict, muscle, victuals. Its sound comes from the Latin. The Romans used C as a numeral (100) as well as a letter.