C c

This consonant represents two sounds (but see also the cluster "sc" ):

1) it stands for the sound [k] before a, o, u, h or when it is the final letter of a word: "casa, colore, cubo, chilo, anche, patatrac" ( house/home, colour, cube, kilo, also, crash - or the sound of a crash). To obtain the same sound before e or i the letter h is inserted: "occhi, perché" ( eyes, why/because);

2) it stands for the consonant sound in Eng. "chew, each, itch" etc. before e or i: "cena, cibo" ( "supper, food"). To obtain the same sound before a, o or u, a "silent i" is inserted: "ciao, micio, ciuco" (hello/bye, kitten, donkey).

The complete series of syllables for the [k] sound is therefore "ca che chi co cu" and the complete series of syllables for the other, "soft", sound is "cia ce ci cio ciu".

Notice: when you see "ch" in an It. word, forget "chip, chat, chest"... and remember "stomach ache chaos chorus choir school character...".