In Russian, only a few words are spelled with 'цы' instead of 'ци' Gateway to Russia Jan 18 2026 Education

https://www.gw2ru.com/education/243822-russian-words-with-tsy They can be memorized using a single phrase. In Russian, "и" is written after "ц" in the root of a word: "цифра" (digit), "цирк" (circus) and "медицина" (medicine). However, there are exceptions that must simply be memorized. A helpful phrase is: "цыган встал на цыпочки и сказал цыпленку “цыц”." (The gypsy stood on tiptoes and said "tsk tsk" to the chick.)