Used after “short” vowels
| With ‘short’ vowels | With kn, qu, wr | Compound words with ‘short’ vowels | Other compound words | Non-compounds | Rarely after “short” i at end of non-compound |
| black block brick check chick chuck click clock cluck crack crick crock fleck flick flock frock heck hick hock jack jock kick lack lick lock luck Mick mock muck neck Nick pack peck pick pluck pock puck rack rick rock ruck sack shack shock sick slack slick smock snack sock speck stack stick stock struck stuck suck tack thick tick track trick truck tuck wick yuck But k as in wok (column 6) | knack knock quack quick whack wrack wreck | backbench backdrop backhand backlash backlog backpack backrest backspin backstop backtrack backup bedrock blacklist checklist checkup chopsticks crackpot cutback deckhand docklands dropkick drumstick duckbill flapjacks flashback gridlock handpick hatchback humpback hunchback jackpot kickback kickbox kickoff kickstand lacking landlocked lipstick locksmith lockstep lockup matchstick nitpick padlock pinprick quicksand redneck rucksack setback slapstick stickpin stickup sunblock sundeck switchback thickset tuckshop upchuck uptick wetback windsock | airsick backbone background backseat backside backslide backspace backstreet backstroke backwash blackbird blackboard blackheads blackmail blackout blockbuster bottleneck brickwork brickyard broomstick bushwhack candlestick carsick checkmate checkout checkpoint chickpeas chickweed clockwise clockwork cocktail comeback cowlick crackdown deadlock dockside dockyard drawback dreadlocks feedback feedstock gooseneck hacksaw hardback haystack headstock homesick horseback jackfruit jackknife joystick kickboard knockout livestock lockout lumberjack moonstruck muckrake necklace neckline necktie nickname nutcracker outback overstock paperback payback peacock playback quarterback racetrack rickshaw roadblock rockfall rootstock seasick shipwreck shockproof sidekick skyrocket soundtrack starstruck stickleback stockbroker stockholder stockpile stockroom stockyard throwback throwback thunderstruck toothpick tracksuit truckload 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 Usually ic as in panic (Columns 3, 4 & 5) 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 Note that sometimes last sound (not spelling) changes when adding suffix starting with e or i, as in magic-magician, and septic-septicemia (US) |
2 thoughts on “ck as in back”
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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