SPELLING 'S' I 'SS'

1. The consonant <s> sounds /s/ in the following cases:

- at the very beginning

seu, sac, sol. etc.

- after a consonant

corsa, absolut, amics, etc.

- at the very end

portuguès, dos, etc.

2. The consonant <s> sounds /z/

- between vowels

casa, portuguesos, pageses, , etc.

- before a voiced consonant:

esmorzar,

3. The final consonant <s> sounds /z/ when it remains intervocalic or comes before a voiced consonant

les altres, els dos amics etc.

4. The digraph <ss> is used only between vowels and is always pronounced /s/

passar, terrassa, assumir, etc. (see SPELLING 'C' and PHONEME /s/)

5. The consonant <z> reproduces the sound /z/ in any position, though it is not usual at the end of a word:

zero, esmorzar, etc.

SPELLING 'C' I 'Ç'

1. The consonant <c> sounds /k/ in the following cases:

    
- before the vowels <a>, <o>, <u>

Caixa, comú, acusar, etc.

    
- before any consonant consonant

Crua, esclarir, incloure, etc.

   
- at the end of word

Antic, sacsejar, etc.

               
2. Instead, consonant <c> sounds /s/ before the vowels <e> and <o>

Cent, recent, àcid, cinema, etc.

             
3. The consonant <ç> sounds /s/ and is used (see also PHONEME /s/):

   
- with the vowels <a>, <o>, <u>:

Caçar, capaços, etc.

   
- at final position:

Feliç, capaç, dolç, etc.

             
4. Therefore, with both <c> and <ç> it is possible to make up the whole phonic series of /s/:

ça, ce, ci, ço, çu

             
5. Compare it with the phonic series containing /k/:

ca, que, qui, co, cu

                    
6. The consonant <ç> is never used at the beginning of a word, except with the old-fashioned pronoun ço, which is currently used as açò.