Silent Letters in English: List, Rules & Examples

Master Silent Letters in English with Easy Examples for Beginners

What Are Silent Letters?

Silent letters are letters in a word that are written but not pronounced. For example, in the word knight, the k is silent. These letters can make English tricky, but learning them step by step will improve your pronunciation and fluency!

Why Do We Have Silent Letters in English?

English words have silent letters because:

• History: Many words come from old languages like Latin, Greek, or Old English.
• Borrowed Words: English borrows words from other languages, keeping their original spelling.
• Pronunciation Changes: Over time, the way we say words has changed, but the spelling often remains the same.

See also: Uncovering the Mystery: Why Do Silent Letters Exist in English?

List of Silent Letters in English (with Examples)

Silent letters can appear anywhere in a word, and they follow certain patterns. Below is a list of silent letters with examples to make learning easy for beginners.

Silent Letters and Their Rules

Silent A

• The letter A is rarely silent but can be found in some specific cases.

Examples:

1. Bread (bred)
2. Head (hed)

Silent B

• The letter B is silent when it follows M or comes before T.

Examples:

1. Thumb (thuhm)
2. Comb (kohm)
3. Debt (det)

Silent C

• The letter C is silent in SC combinations.

Examples:

1. Scene (seen)
2. Scissors (siz-ers)
3. Muscle (mus-uhl)

Silent D

• The letter D is silent in certain words.

Examples:

1. Wednesday (wenz-day)
2. Handkerchief (han-ker-chief)

Silent E

• The letter E is often silent at the end of words, especially to signal a long vowel sound.

Examples:

1. Hope (hohp)
2. Time (tahym)
3. Name (neym)

Silent G

• The letter G is silent when it precedes N.

Examples:

• Sign (sine)
• Gnaw (naw)
• Gnome (nome)

Silent H

• The letter H is silent in various contexts:

After W.

1. Examples: What (wot), When (wen)

At the start of some words.

1. Examples: Hour (our), Honest (on-est)

Silent K

• The letter K is silent when it comes before N.

Examples:

1. Knife (nife)
2. Know (no)
3. Knock (nock)

Silent L

• The letter L is silent in words with certain vowel combinations.

Examples:

1. Calm (kahm)
2. Half (haf)
3. Talk (tawk)

Silent M

1. The letter M is silent in a few words.

Examples:

1. Mnemonic (neh-mon-ik)

Silent N

• The letter N is silent in some words, usually after M.

Examples:

1. Autumn (aw-tuhm)
2. Column (kol-uhm)

Silent P

• The letter P is silent in certain words, especially with PS or PN at the start.

Examples:

1. Psychology (sai-ko-lo-gy)
2. Pneumonia (new-moh-nyah)

Silent R

• The letter R is silent in non-rhotic accents like British English.

Examples:

1. Car (cah)
2. Butter (but-tah)

Silent S

1. The letter S is silent in a few words.

Examples:

1. Island (eye-land)
2. Aisle (eye-l)

Silent T

• The letter T is silent in some common words.

Examples:

1. Ballet (ba-lay)
2. Castle (cas-uhl)
3. Listen (lis-en)

Silent U

• The letter U is silent after G in many words.

Examples:

1. Guess (ges)
2. Guitar (gi-tar)
3. Rogue (rohg)

Silent W

• The letter W is silent before R or in certain other words.

Examples:

1. Write (rite)
2. Wrong (rong)
3. Sword (sord)

How to Remember Silent Letters?

• Practice Common Words: Focus on high-frequency words.
• Use Mnemonics: Create memory aids like “Silent K is a knight’s secret.”
• Learn Patterns: Notice patterns like silent B after M or silent K before N.

How to Practice Silent Letters?

• Read Aloud: Practice reading words with silent letters. This will help your brain remember the correct pronunciation.
• Listen to Native Speakers: Watch English videos or listen to podcasts to hear how words are pronounced.
• Learn Common Words: Focus on commonly used words with silent letters.

Fun Fact About Silent Letters!

Did you know? The word island has a silent S because it was added later to make the word look like Latin, even though it was never pronounced!

Conclusion

Silent letters might seem confusing, but they are an important part of learning English. By practicing regularly and paying attention to common patterns, you'll become more confident in your spoken English.

Final Tip

Don’t let silent letters scare you! They’re a challenge at first, but with practice, you’ll master them and sound more natural in your English conversations.