C + I/E vs C + H + I/E: ci/ce and chi/che Made Easy

Two C sounds: “soft” vs “hard”

In Italian, the letter C has two main sounds. The spelling tells you which one to use—especially before I and E.

• Soft C = /tʃ/ (like “ch” in English church)
• Hard C = /k/ (like “k” in kite)

Rule 1: ci and ce are soft

When C is directly followed by I or E, it becomes soft: ci, ce → /tʃi/, /tʃe/.

Rule 2: chi and che are hard

To keep a hard C sound before I or E, Italian inserts H: chi, che → /ki/, /ke/. The H is silent; it only changes the sound of C.

Step-by-step: how to decode quickly while reading

1. Spot C + I/E: if you see ci or ce, prepare the soft sound /tʃ/.
2. Look for H: if you see chi or che, use the hard sound /k/.
3. Say the vowel clearly: ci ends in -i, ce ends in -e, etc. Don’t “swallow” the vowel.

Organized word sets (read aloud)

Soft group: ci / ce → /tʃ/

• ci: ciao, cibo, cinque, vicino, amici
• ce: cena, certo, cento, centro, cerchi

Hard group: chi / che → /k/

• chi: chi, chitarra, chiedi, cerchi (compare below), chimica
• che: che, anche, perché, che cosa, vecchie (contains ch sound)

Contrast drills (minimal pairs & quick switches)

Read each pair slowly, then faster. Focus only on the C sound changing.

Reading challenge: “cento” vs “chento”

cento is correct Italian spelling: ce gives the soft sound. chento is not standard Italian; use it as a decoding test: if you see che, your mouth should automatically switch to the hard /k/ sound. The goal is to train your eyes: H = hard.

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Micro-drills with short phrases

Say each line twice: first carefully, then at natural speed.

• ce → cena, cena, cena
• che → che, che, che
• Switch: cena – che – cena – che
• Switch: ciao – chi – ciao – chi

Sentence practice (focus on the spelling cue)

1) Question with hard C: che / chi

Che cosa cerchi?

• Che starts with hard /k/.
• cerchi contains chi at the end (-chi = hard /ki/).

2) Answer mixing both

Certo, ci vediamo domani.

• Certo begins with ce → soft /tʃ/.
• ci is soft /tʃi/.

Quick decoding exercise: sort into soft vs hard

Read the list. Then write (or say) two groups: SOFT (ci/ce) and HARD (chi/che).

che, cena, chi, ciao, anche, certo, amici, amiche, vicino, cerchi, perché, cento

Check yourself (sorting key)

Extra contrast: “vicino” vs “vicino che…”

Use this to practice switching inside a longer chunk.

• vicino → contains ci (soft)
• vicino che… → ci (soft) then che (hard)

Drill: vicino… vicino che… vicino… vicino che…