2.1. The Sound /k/

This sound can be spelled in any one of four ways:
1. c     2. cc     3. k        4. ck

1.  The single letter, c , is the most common spelling. It may be used anywhere in a word:

cat

corn

actor

victim

direct

mica

scat 

bacon 

public 

cactus 

inflict 

pecan 

2. Sometimes the letter c must be doubled to cc to protect the sound of a short vowel:

stucco 

baccalaureate 

hiccups

Mecca 

tobacco 

buccaneer

occupy

raccoon 

succulent 

3. The letter k is substituted for c if /k/ is followed by an e, i, or y.

kin 

make 

sketch 

poker 

kind 

risky

skin 

token 

skill 

keep 

liking 

flaky

(Boring examples? How about kyphosis, kylix, keratosis, and dyskinesia?)

4. Similarly, the spelling ck, is substituted for cc if the following letter is an e, i, or y:

lucky 

picking 

rocking 

finicky

blackest 

mackintosh 

frolicked 

ducking

Kentucky 

picnicking 

stocking 

Quebecker

5. The letters, k and ck are more than substitutes for c and cc. They are used to spell /k/ at the end of a monosyllable. The digraph, ck, ALWAYS follows a short vowel:

sack 

duck 

lick 

stick 

wreck 

clock

(Forget about yak. Your student will never need it.)

The letter, k, follows any other sound:

milk 

soak 

make 

bark

tank 

peek 

bike 

cork

tusk 

hawk 

duke 

perk

2.2. The Sound, /j/

The sound, /j/ is spelled in three ways: j ge and dge.

1. The letter j is usually used if the sound if followed by an a, o, or u.

just 

jam 

jungle 

injure 

major 

adjacent 

jog 

jar 

Japan 

jury 

job 

Benjamin

adjust 

jacket 

jolly 

jaguar 

jump 

jalousie

2. Since the letter g has the soft sound of /j/ when it is followed by an e, i, or y, it is usually used in this situation:

gentle 

ginger 

aging 

algebra

Egyptologist 

gem 

origin 

gym

3. If /j/ follows a short vowel sound, it is usually spelled with dge. This is because the letter j, is never doubled in English.

badge 

ridge 

dodge 

partridge 

gadget

judge 

edge 

smudge 

judgement 

budget

2.3. The Sound, /ch/

The sound /ch/ has two spellings: tch after a short vowel, ch anywhere else:

witch 

sketch 

botch 

satchel

catch 

hatchet 

kitchen 

escutcheon

Exceptions:
Which, rich, much, such, touch, bachelor, attach, sandwich, and ostrich.

2.4. The Sound, /kw/

This sound is ALWAYS spelled with the letters, qu, never anything else.