Which letter represents the /s/ sound in the word "sun"?

Which letter represents the /s/ sound in the word "sun"?

• A. z
• B. ss
• C. s
• D. c

Answer: (C)

The sound at the start of the word is /s/, a hissing sound formed with the tongue close to the front of the mouth. In this word that sound is written with the letter s, so sun begins with s to spell the /s/ sound. While other letters can sometimes make an /s/ in different words (for example, z often sounds like /z/, and ss can represent /s/ in some spellings), the /s/ sound here is represented by a single s. The letter c can make an /s/ in some contexts, but not in this word.

The sound at the start of the word is /s/, a hissing sound formed with the tongue close to the front of the mouth. In this word that sound is written with the letter s, so sun begins with s to spell the /s/ sound. While other letters can sometimes make an /s/ in different words (for example, z often sounds like /z/, and ss can represent /s/ in some spellings), the /s/ sound here is represented by a single s. The letter c can make an /s/ in some contexts, but not in this word.