A final -e often changes the vowel before it from short to long. In cap the vowel is /æ/, but in cape the final e is silent and the vowel is closer to the name of the letter A. The same pattern appears in kit and kite, rid and ride, hop and hope. When you see a consonant + vowel + consonant + e, read the first vowel with a long sound in many common words. This spelling pattern connects with Common Spelling Patterns and with vowel sounds from Vowels and Consonants.

Final e and long vowel spelling

Idea
A silent final e often makes the vowel before it long.
The same pattern often changes i to a long vowel sound.

The b is silent after m at the end of many words. Say comb, climb, thumb, lamb, and plumber with only the /m/ sound at the end of the first part. The spelling keeps the b, but the mouth does not close for /b/. This pattern is common in everyday vocabulary, and it also appears inside longer words such as numbness and doubtless.

Silent b after m words

Word	Notation	Description	Example
comb	k o m	The letter b is silent after m, so the word ends with the m sound.	She used a comb before school.
climb	k l aɪ m	The letter b is silent after m, so you hear the m sound at the end.	They will climb the hill together.

When a word begins with kn-, the k is silent and the word starts with /n/. Say knife, know, knee, and knock with the same first sound as no. When a word begins with gn-, the g is silent and the word starts with /n/ too. Common examples are gnat, gnaw, and gnome. In both spellings, the first written letter does not match the first sound, so the learner must listen for the /n/ at the start.

Initial kn and gn spelling patterns

Idea
In kn words, the k is silent at the beginning.
In gn words, the g is silent at the beginning.

In wr- spellings, the w is silent and the word begins with /r/. Say write, wrong, wrist, wrap, and wrestle with a clear initial /r/ sound. The spelling looks as if it should start with two consonants, but the sound begins with only one. The same pattern appears in related forms such as written and wrapped.

Wr words with silent w

Idea
In wr words, the w is silent at the beginning.
This pattern also appears in many other wr words.

Some common words begin with a silent h. Say hour, honest, honor, and heir with a vowel sound at the start. Hour begins with the same opening sound as our, and honest begins with the same vowel sound as on. The h is written, but it is not pronounced in these words.

Silent h in common hour words

Word	Notation	Description	Example
hour	aʊər	The h is silent, so the word begins with a vowel sound.	We waited for an hour.
honest	ɑnəst	The h is silent, so the first sound is the vowel sound at the start.	She gave an honest answer.

In some consonant clusters, t is written but not spoken. In listen and fasten, the ending sounds like /sn/. In castle, the t is silent before the final /l/ sound. In soften, the t drops out, and the word sounds like /sofən/. English spelling often keeps the older form even when the spoken form becomes simpler. For more sound and spelling patterns like these, see Pronunciation and Common Spelling Patterns.

Silent t in common consonant clusters

Idea
In some common clusters, the t is silent.
This also happens in some words with ften spelling.

The spelling gh has two common outcomes. In many words it is silent, as in though, daughter, through, and high. In a smaller group of words, gh is pronounced /f/, as in tough, enough, laugh, and cough. The sound depends on the word, so the spelling alone does not tell you one single rule. Compare though with tough to hear the difference.

Gh spelling with silent or f sound

Word	Notation	Description	Example
through	θruː	In this word, gh is silent.	We walked through the park.
tough	tʌf	In this word, gh is pronounced as f.	The work was tough today.

In some words, l is silent before a consonant. Say half, calm, talk, and would without an /l/ sound. In other words, n is silent after m, especially in learned or older spellings such as hymn and column. These spellings often keep letters from the history of the word, but the spoken form leaves them out. Silent letters like these appear often in Silent Letters (Advanced Practice) and help with careful reading and accurate pronunciation.

Silent l and n in selected words

Idea
In some words, the l is silent before a consonant.
In some words after m, the n is silent.