Silent Letters

The letter B is often silent after M at the end of words, and knowing this helps you pronounce words naturally. Think of bomb and comb where the B is not sounded.

K is typically silent when it appears before N at the start of a word, a pattern that comes from Old English. This silent K appears in familiar words like knife and knight.

W is silent in some word-initial WR combinations, where the W used to be pronounced historically but is now silent. Words like write and wrath follow this pattern.

G can be silent in certain sequences like GN or in French-derived words, affecting pronunciation and sometimes meaning. Examples include sign and foreign where the G is not pronounced.

L is silent in some words after A, sometimes after other vowels, and this silence dates back to changes in pronunciation over time. Words like calm and palm have a silent L.

T is silent in certain common words, often where it appears in consonant clusters or in French borrowings. This silence helps differentiate related words and affects rhythm in speech. Examples include listen and castle.

H can be silent in some words, especially those borrowed from French where the H is not pronounced. In other cases, H affects the sound of the word or is silent after W. Examples include hour and honest.

U is silent in certain letter combinations like GU or in words where it affects pronunciation indirectly. This silent U appears in words like guess and guard, where the G sound remains but the U is not vocalized.

Silent letters give clues about a word's history, help distinguish meaning, and guide correct spelling even when they don't affect pronunciation. Learning common silent letters makes you more accurate and confident in English.

Silent letters appear in predictable patterns like silent B after M, silent K before N, and silent W in WR combinations; studying these patterns with examples improves pronunciation and spelling.