Used after “short” vowels
| Compound words | Non-compound | Rarely after “short” i at end of non-compound |
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back beck buck deck dock duck hack heck hick hock kick Mack Mick mock muck neck Nick pack peck pick pock puck tack tick tuck wick yuck
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black block brick check chick chuck click clock cluck crack crick crock fleck flick flock frock heck hick hock jack jock kick knack knock lack lick lock luck pluck quack quick rack rick rock ruck sack shack shock sick slack slick smock snack sock speck stack stick stock struck stuck suck thick track trick truck whack wrack wreck |
airsick backbench backbone backdrop background backhand backlash backlog backpack backrest backseat backside backslide backspace backspin backstop backstreet backstroke backtrack backup backwash bedrock blackbird blackboard blackheads blacklist blackmail blackout blockbuster bottleneck brickwork brickyard broomstick bushwhack candlestick carsick checklist checkmate checkout checkpoint checkup chickpeas chickweed chopsticks clockwise clockwork cocktail comeback cowlick crackdown crackpot cutback deadlock deckhand docklands dockside dockyard drawback dreadlocks dropkick drumstick duckbill feedback feedstock flapjacks flashback gooseneck gridlock hacksaw handpick hardback hatchback haystack headstock homesick horseback humpback hunchback interlock jackfruit jackknife jackpot joystick kickback kickboard kickbox kickoff kickstand knockout lacking landlocked lipstick livestock lockout locksmith lockstep lockup lumberjack matchstick moonstruck muckrake necklace neckline necktie nickname nitpick nutcracker outback overstock padlock paperback payback peacock pinprick playback quarterback quicksand racetrack redneck rickshaw roadblock rockfall rootstock rucksack seasick setback shipwreck shockproof sidekick skyrocket slapstick soundtrack starstruck stickleback stickpin stickup stockbroker stockholder stockpile stockroom stockyard sunblock sundeck switchback thickset throwback throwback thunderstruck toothpick tracksuit truckload tuckshop upchuck uptick wetback windsock wisecrack woodblock woodchuck woodpecker yardstick |
aback attack barrack beckon bicker blockade bracket brackish bucket buckle bullock buttock cassock checkers chicken clicker clucking cockpit Cossack cockatiel cockatoo cockroach cracker crackling cricket cuckoo docket ducking duckling feckless gecko hacker haddock hammock hijack hillock jackal jackeroo jacket jumbuck locker locket mackerel mackintosh nickel packet paddock peckish picket pillock pucker racket ransack reckon repack restock rocket ruckus sackful shamrock Sherlock slacken snicker socket sprocket sticker stockade stocking stockist stricken suckling tackling thicken thicket thickness ticket tickle tracker trickster trucker tucker tussock unlock unpack unstuck warlock wedlock wicked wicker wicket wicking |
derrick fossick gimmick killick limerick maffick maverick niblick Pickwick rollick
Also note final c becomes ck before suffix starting with e or i: frolicked frolicking magicked magicking mimicker mimicking mosaicked mosaicking panicking physicked (archaic) physicking (archaic) picnicker picnicking politicked politicker politicking trafficked trafficker trafficking But note last sound, not spelling, changes when adding e or i suffix as in magic-magician, and septic-septicemia (US)
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Hi Alison, just working though page 27 level 2 word sounds can you give me some more teaching pointers regarding when to use k or ck at the word end.
Many Thanks
ck typically goes after “short” vowels, as in back, neck, sick, lock and duck. These are mostly written with a single vowel letter, and are vowels that can’t go in open syllables in English (i.e. they don’t occur at the end of a word). The main exception here is the “ic” group of longer words like panic, traffic, frolic, music etc, which you’d expect to have ck at the end, not just c.
k typically goes after other vowel sounds, as in bake, weak/week, like, broke, soak, book, fluke, nuke, park, work, Turk, dirk, fork, auk etc. It also goes after consonant sounds, as in milk, desk and think.
This is how we manage to represent 5 “short” and 5 “long” vowels with only five vowel letters. We indicate which vowel it is with the next consonant spelling, as in backing/baking, licking/liking etc. The vowel spelling stays the same and the consonant spelling tells us which vowel sound to say. Other spellings which typically signal preceding “short” vowels are doubled consonant letters (ss, ff, zz etc), dge as in bridge and tch as in catch.
Hope that makes sense and is useful. Alison