What indicates spelling for words ending in -ck?

The indication of spelling for words ending in -ck is correctly identified as the signal from the vowel. In the context of phonics and spelling rules, when a word ends with the consonant pair -ck, it typically follows a short vowel sound. This is consistent with the general rule in English that a single vowel followed by a consonant or a consonant blend maintains the short vowel sound, which reinforces this spelling pattern.

For instance, in words like "duck," "luck," and "stick," the vowel sound is short, which corresponds with the -ck spelling. The presence of the -ck at the end signifies that the preceding vowel should be pronounced short.

On the other hand, silent letters pertain to different patterns in spelling and pronunciation, double consonants usually indicate a preceding short vowel in other contexts, and the hard g rules deal with the pronunciation of the letter 'g' rather than implying a spelling rule for -ck endings, which is more focused on vowel sounds.