Fact check: In the word “scent,” is the S or the C making the sound?

1. Summary of the results

The analyses reveal conflicting expert opinions about which letter produces the sound in "scent." One source argues that neither the 's' nor the 'c' is silent, explaining that they work together as a digraph to create the /s/ sound ^[1]. However, another source reaches the opposite conclusion, stating that the 'c' is actually the silent letter due to the word's specific etymology from French 'sentir' ^[2].

The etymological sources provide crucial background: "scent" derives from Old French 'sentir', meaning "to feel, smell, touch, taste; realize, perceive; make love to" ^[3]. Additional etymological analysis traces the word through Middle English, Old French, and Latin origins ^[4], though these sources don't directly address the pronunciation question.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several important linguistic perspectives:

• Phonetic analysis: The question doesn't consider that letters can function as digraphs (letter combinations that produce a single sound), which fundamentally changes how we understand which letter "makes" the sound ^[1]
• Historical pronunciation evolution: The analyses reveal that understanding requires knowledge of how Latin 'c' sounds transformed over time and how French pronunciation influenced English ^[2]
• Comparative phonetics: One source mentions the pronunciation relationship between "scent," "sent," and "cent" ^[5], though the specific analysis wasn't accessible
• Linguistic terminology precision: The question assumes one letter must be "making the sound" when modern phonetics suggests this may be an oversimplified framework

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains a false binary assumption that either the 's' or the 'c' must be "making the sound." This framing reflects a common misconception about how English phonetics work and ignores the possibility that:

• Both letters could work together as a unit
• The concept of a single letter "making" a sound may be linguistically inaccurate
• Historical etymology might be more relevant than individual letter analysis

The question also lacks acknowledgment that expert sources disagree on this topic, presenting what appears to be a simple question when the linguistic reality is more complex. This type of oversimplification can perpetuate misunderstandings about how English spelling and pronunciation systems actually function.