Pronunciation: [sɛdˈɪləz] (IPA) 
The word "cedillas" is spelled with a "c" followed by an "e" and two "d"s, then an "i" and two "l"s, and finally an "a" and an "s". The phonetic transcription for this word in IPA would be /səˈdɪləz/, with the stress on the second syllable. A cedilla is a symbol that appears beneath the letter "c" in certain languages, such as French, to indicate that it is pronounced as a soft "s" sound instead of a hard "k" sound.
Cedillas are diacritical marks used in various languages to modify the pronunciation or meaning of certain letters. The cedilla appears as a small hook or tail beneath a letter, typically the letter C, and is written as a comma-like symbol (¸). The purpose of the cedilla is to soften the pronunciation of the letter, usually changing the sound from a hard /k/ to a soft /s/. In languages such as French, Portuguese, and Catalan, the cedilla is commonly seen beneath the letter C when it precedes the vowels A, O, or U, indicating that it should be pronounced as a soft /s/ sound. For example, the French word "façade" uses a cedilla beneath the letter C to indicate that it is pronounced as "fah-sahd" rather than "fah-kahd". Additionally, cedillas can also be seen in some languages beneath letters such as S or G, providing a similar softening effect. While mainly used in Romance languages, the cedilla can also be encountered in other contexts, such as in the Livonian language or in transliterations of foreign words. In summary, cedillas are diacritical marks used primarily to indicate a softened pronunciation of certain letters in various languages.
The word "cedilla" has its etymology in the French language. It comes from the Old French word "cédille", which ultimately derived from the Spanish word "cedilla". The Spanish term "cedilla" means "little Z" and is a diminutive form of "cédia", which refers to the letter Z in Old Spanish. The origin of the Spanish word can be traced back to the Latin term "zedīlla", derived from "zeta" - the name of the letter Z in Latin. The cedilla is a diacritical mark used in writing certain languages, most notably French, and is placed under the letter 'c' to indicate that it should be pronounced as /s/ instead of /k/.
