The C is silent in muscle, scissors and science. In muscle and science it comes from Latin; in scissors the sc- spelling came from a mistake.
First, How Do You Say Them?
- muscle: MUSS-ul
- scissors: SIZ-urz
- science: SY-uns
The Weird Part
In all three words, an S is followed by a C, and the C does nothing. The two letters make one S sound.
muscle → MUSS-ul
scissors → SIZ-urz
science → SY-uns
Muscle: The Little Mouse
Muscle comes from Latin musculus, which means "little mouse". The idea was that a muscle moving under the skin looked a bit like a mouse. English borrowed it in the late 1300s and kept the C from the Latin spelling.
Science: From "To Know"
Science comes from Latin scientia, "knowledge", which comes from scire, "to know". It reached English in the 1300s. The C is part of the Latin spelling.
Scissors: The Mistaken C
Scissors is the odd one out. It came from Old French cisoires, "shears", and was first written with an S or C, like cisours, in the late 1300s. The sc- spelling appeared in the 1500s. It was influenced by a Latin word, scissor ("tailor"), that comes from a different source. So the sc- spelling comes from a mistaken link, not from the word's real history.
Natural Examples
Mia tried to build her muscle at the gym.
Please pass the scissors.
Our favourite subject is science.
The scissors are on the desk.
Common Mistakes
Don't say a K sound.
❌ MUSK-ul
✅ MUSS-ul
Scissors is plural.
❌ The scissors is sharp.
✅ The scissors are sharp.
In a Conversation
Sam: Why is there a C in scissors?
Mia: The sc- spelling was a mistake.
Sam: And in science?
Mia: That one is Latin, so it stays.
The OddLingo Timeline
Latin musculus (little mouse) → muscle. Latin scientia (knowledge) → science. Old French cisoires → scissors (the sc- spelling from the 1500s).
The OddLingo Takeaway
Three words, one silent letter, three stories. See also Receipt and Debris, Ballet, Bouquet.