The sc sound

The letter combination sc is pronounced differently depending on the letter that follows it.

Sc has a soft sound similar to the English “sh” when the following come after it:

  • the vowel e or i, as in the following cases:

scelta , esci , lasci , coscienza

Sc has a hard sound similar to the English “sk” when the following come after it:

  • the vowel a, o or u, as in the following cases:

scatole , scudo , ascolta , scatto

  • h + i/e, creating the hard chi (as in the English “key”) or che (“kheh”) sound, as in the following cases:

schivare , scherma , scherzo , maschi

Note: the i is silent when it's followed by another vowel, as in the following cases

ascia , scienza , sciupato , sciopero


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