The letters C and Z can present spelling problems because they sound the same.
The following rules can help with spelling:
- C is used before the vowels E and I, except in words like zeta, zigzag, Ezequiel.
- Verbs ending in -ZAR are spelled with C. The Z changes to C followed by E in the present subjunctive, imperative, and first-person singular. This applies to the present subjunctive, imperative, and first-person preterite tense.
- Plurals of words that end in Z in the singular are spelled with C.
- Z is used before the vowels A, O, and U.
- We write Z at the end of a syllable and at the end of a word.
In these cases, there may be doubts about whether to write C or Z because, although the sound is different, the final C is often pronounced like Z. To differentiate between the two letters, words that end in Z keep this sound, but, as we’ve seen, it’s not possible to pronounce the C sound.
Words that end in Z retain this sound, but, as we’ve seen, with C spelling (e.g., luz, luces). However, if the singular form ends in C, this is the letter that will appear in the plural.
In the following text, there are some spelling mistakes. Can you find them?
My grandmother loves to “cozinar”. She is always looking at “rezetas” to surprise us with new dishes, although my favorite is the “arroc” with “canahoria” and “zebolla”, it’s her “espezialidad”. She “haze” it slowly in her “cacuela” and it turns out “delizioso”. When we go to her house and she prepares that dish, we all become “felizes”.
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