Why is revoke spelled with a k (and revoker and revoked/revoking), yet revocable is spelled with a c?
On this website, the Latin word revoc is the base for "revocable"and "revoke". So why is revoke spelled with a k? Is it to prevent it being pronounced "revose"? If this is so, why is this k not constant throughout the words?
Thanks!
It depends on the vowel(s) following the 'k' or the 'c'. If there is a weak vowel like 'e', you will use the consonant 'k'. Otherwise by using a 'c', it would no longer have the sound of a 'k'! So there is no 'revoce'!
On the other hand you have 'revocable' with a 'c' before a hard vowel 'a' which does not need a 'k' because 'c' is always spoken like a 'k' with following vowels like a, o or u: vocal, come, cucumber!
