The C in Scent Was Added by Mistake
A scent is a distinctive smell. The word originally had no C, which was inserted by early modern spellers.
A scent is a distinctive smell, especially a pleasant one, or the trail an animal leaves. The C is an intruder: the word was *sent* in Middle English, from French *sentir*, to feel or smell, and the C was added in the 1500s by spellers who liked their words to look more Latin. The same fashion put the B into *debt* and *doubt* and the S into *island*. *Sentir* also gives *sense*, *sentiment* and *consent*.
- A distinctive smell. *The scent of roses.*
- An animal's trail. *On the scent.*
- Perfume. *A bottle of scent.*
- To sense by smell. *The dog scented it.*
- French — *sentir*, to feel. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | scent | A scent. |
| Plural | scents | Scents. |
| Verb | scent | Scent it. |
| Adjective | scented | Scented. |
| French | sentir | To feel. |
- The scent of pine filled the room.Smell.
- The hounds picked up the scent.Trail.
- The C was added in the 1500s.Spelling.
Letters added to English spellings
- Scent — the C was never pronounced
- Debt — B added to match Latin *debitum*
- Doubt — B added to match Latin *dubitare*
- Island — S added by false comparison with *isle*
- Rhyme — H added by comparison with *rhythm*
Old French *sentir*, to feel, smell or perceive, from Latin *sentire*. The C was added in the 1500s.
Why does scent have a silent C?
It was added in the 1500s by spellers who thought words should look more Latin. The C was never pronounced.
Are scent and sense related?
Yes. Both come from Latin sentire, to feel or perceive.