Common letter patterns: -all, -ing, -ook and soft c and g
Short answer: Some letter groups repeat in many words and always sound the same. -all says /ɔl/ (ball, tall), -ing says /ɪŋ/ (sing, ring), and -ook says /ʊk/ (book, look). The letters c and g have two sounds: hard before a, o, u (cat, go) and soft before e, i, y (city, giant). Learn these patterns and you can read many new words.
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At a glance
| Pattern | Sound | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -all | /ɔl/ | ball, tall, small |
| -ing | /ɪŋ/ | sing, ring, king |
| -ook | /ʊk/ | book, look, cook |
| c before e, i, y | /s/ | city, face, cycle |
| g before e, i, y | /dʒ/ | giant, gem, gym |
How to make the sound
- Recognize the pattern at the end of the word: -all, -ing, -ook.
- Read it as one chunk: ball = b + /ɔl/.
- Check c and g: hard (/k/, /g/) before a, o, u; soft (/s/, /dʒ/) before e, i, y.
- Use the pattern to read new words: tall, small, fall.
Examples in sentences
- ball
-all = /ɔl/: /bɔl/. - sing
-ing = /ɪŋ/: /sɪŋ/. - book
-ook = /ʊk/: /bʊk/. - city
c before i = /s/: /ˈsɪti/. - giant
g before i = /dʒ/: /ˈdʒaɪənt/. - cat
c before a = /k/: /kæt/.
Common problems
- Reading -all as /æl/: ball is /bɔl/, not /bæl/.
- Adding /g/ after -ing: sing is /sɪŋ/, with no /g/ sound.
- Always reading c as /k/: Before e, i and y, c says /s/. Compare cat and city.
For Vietnamese speakers
- Practice -ing with a nasal /ŋ/ at the end: the sound does not include /g/.
- Chunks help you read: learn -all, -ing and -ook as units.
Check yourself
- How do you say “-all” in “ball”?
Show the answer
/ɔl/ One chunk.
- How do you say “c” in “city”?
Show the answer
/s/ Soft c before i.
- How do you say “g” in “giant”?
Show the answer
/dʒ/ Soft g before i.
Questions
Is c always soft before e, i, y?
Almost always. The few exceptions are rare.
Is g always soft before e, i, y?
Often, but not always: get and give have a hard g.
Why learn letter patterns?
They let you read new words by chunk, not letter by letter.
More lessons in this part
Part of the 👄 Pronunciation tool: Phonics & Word Decoding. See also the English pronunciation guide. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.
Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.
Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30
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