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k
English spelling of the IPA k sound: c, ch, k, ck, q or cq.
The English letter c can be a hard c (cat, act, Pacific) or a soft c (nice, centre, face).
Words where a k sound is spelled with c
call, camera, car, case, cave, cat, act, tack, practical, decor
sceptic, celtic, encephalitis (all other -ce- words have a soft c)
macintosh (all other -ci- words have a soft c)
come, cool, computer, collar, cost, cover, doctor
cub, cube, cut, cute, customer, cut, cutter
Words where a k sound is spelled with a ch
ache, anchor, character, school, Christopher, Nicholas
(For schedule, you can say shedyool or skedyool. It's optional.)
Also, there are thousands of technical words from Greek, Latin and Arabic in which ch is pronounced k, such as: chemical, chemistry, alchemy, Archimedes, architecture, mechanical, anarchy, archive, chlorophyll, cholesterol, chrysalis, lichen, psychological
Words where a k sound is spelled with a k
ask, kid, make, book, desk, joke, keep, take, took, look, bulk, hawk, risk
Kodak, kilometer, kilogramme, Eskimo, kayak, darkness, Dyak
Words where a k sound is spelled with a ck
back, duck, Jack, lack, luck, luckily, sick, sickness, sock, rock
Words where a k sound is spelled with a q
quart, quarter, Iraq, umiaq, opaque
(and there are lots of kw sounds that are spelled with a q, such as question, enquiry, equal,
quick, quit, quite, quiz, aquatic, tranquil, equity, quadrant, quadrophonic, quad-bike, etc)
Words where a kw sound is spelled with a cq
acquire, acquisition, acquaintance, acquit, acquittal
Words with a surprise k sound
sceptic, sceptical
(in US spelling, skeptic, skeptical)