Silent letters

In this lesson on silent letters, we will explore how certain letters in English words are not pronounced, even though they appear in the spelling. By focusing on common silent letters in words like “comb,” “debt,” “knife,” and “hour,” we’ll practice correct pronunciation and improve your ability to recognize and say words more naturally. We’ll also discuss the rules for silent letters in different word patterns, providing plenty of examples and engaging activities to help you master them. By the end of the lesson, you’ll feel more confident in using these tricky words in conversation and writing.

Silent A

aesthetic, bread

Slient B in MB

comb, climb, thumb, tomb /tuːm/, lamb, dumb, numb, bomb

Silent B in BT

debt, doubt, subtle

Silent C

muscle, scene, scissors, scenario, science, scent, conscience, quick, lack, bicker, acquaintance, acquire

Silent D

Wednesday, handsome, sandwich, handkerchief /ˈhæŋ.kɚ.tʃiːf/, adjective, adjust, bridge, edge, grandson

Silent E (especially at the end of the word)

bridge, hate, name, breathe, queue, plaque, come, are, above, give, some, have

Silent G

foreign /ˈfɔːr.ən/, sign, design, champagne, reign, campaign, gnome /noʊm/, align, light, high, resign

Exceptions where we say G!

designation, signature, resignation, malignant  /məˈlɪɡ.nənt/ (having a strong wish to do harm)

Silent H

chorus  /ˈkɔːr.əs/, chaos /ˈkeɪ.ɑːs/, archive, heir /er/, hour, honest, chemical, character, light, high, vehicle, Thai, Thomas, hurrah /həˈrɑ /, cheetah, exhausted, exhibit, rhythm, rhyme /raɪm/, diarrhea, ghost, ghetto, spaghetti, white, while, what, wheel, aghast (suddenly filled with strong feelings of shock and worry)

Silent J

marijuana /ˌmer.əˈwɑː.nə/

Silent K

know, knee, knock, knowledge, knit, knife, knot, knight

Silent L

calf, half, salmon, should, would, walk, could, chalk, talk, calm, palm, almond   /ˈɑːl.mənd/

*calf  /kæf/ – the curved part of the back of the human leg below the knee

Silent M

comma, communication, mnemonic  /nɪˈmɑː.nɪk/ (something such as a very short poem or a special word used to help a person remember something)

Silent N

autumn (BUT autumnal /ɑːˈtʌm.nəl/), column (BUT columnist /ˈkɑː.ləm.nɪst/), damn (damnation), hymn (hymnist)

Silent O

enough, tough, jeopardy /ˈdʒep.ɚ.di/,  leopard /ˈlep.ɚd/, people, chocolate, catholic /ˈkæθ.əl.ɪk/

Silent P

pneumonia /nuːˈmoʊ.njə/, pseudo /suː.doʊ-/, psychology, cupboard, raspberry, coup /kuː/, receipt

Silent R in British English

car, standard, participant, start, more, river, murderer

Silent S

isalnd, aisle, Illinois /ˌɪl.ɪˈnɔɪ/, Arkansas /ˈɑːr.kən.sɑː/, debris /dəˈbriː/ (broken or torn pieces left from the destruction of something larger)

Silent T

castle, listen, ballet, bouquet, gourmet  /ˈɡʊr.meɪ/ /ɡʊrˈmeɪ/, Christmas, witch, mortgage, often (both with T and without), nestle (to rest yourself or part of your body in a warm, comfortable, and protected position)

T after N is skipped by Most Americans

twenty = twenny, wanted = wanned, interview = innerview, printer, international, document, sentence, center, Santa Claus, advantage

Hold T before N

button, gotten, mountain, eaten, Britain, forgotten, lighten, written, certain, important

Silent U

build, guess, guide, queue, guard, guitar, silhouette /ˌsɪl.əˈwet/, guilty, circuit, antique, unique, tongue, vogue, vague

Silent W

low, law, draw, wrap /ræp/, wrist, write, wrong, who, whole, whose, two, answer

Say X

exam, example, extra, except, xerox, xenophobe /ˈzen.ə.foʊb/

Silent syllables

actu(a)lly, asp(i)rin /ˈæs.prɪn/ ,av(e)rage, basic(a)lly, bev(e)rage, diff(e)rent, extr(a)odinary, ev(e)ning, ev(e)ry, fam(i)ly, gen(e)rally, brocc(o)lli, bus(i)ness, cam(e)ra, Cath(o)lic /ˈkæθ.əl.ɪk/, choc(o)late, fav(o)rite, int(e)rest, int(e)resting, lab(o)ratory, lib(e)ral, op(e)ra, comf(o)rtable, cov(e)rage, desp(e)rate, di(a)mond, di(a)per, practic(a)lly, pref(e)rence, sev(e)ral, temp(e)rature, the(o)ry, veg(e)table

Practice makes perfect

• Silent A:

  • How do you pronounce “aesthetic”? Can you use it in a sentence?

• Silent B in MB:

  • Have you ever climbed a mountain? Tell me about your experience.

• Silent B in BT:

  • How do you pronounce “debt”? Do you think it’s an important lesson in life to avoid debt?

  • Do you ever feel doubt when making big decisions? How do you deal with it?

• Silent C:

  • Can you say the word “scene” clearly? What’s your favorite movie scene?

  • Do you enjoy science? 

• Silent D:

  • How do you pronounce “Wednesday”? How do you usually spend your Wednesdays?

  • Do you think “handsome” is used more for men or for both men and women? Who can you call handsome among real people?

• Silent G:

  • Can you say “foreign” clearly? Do you like traveling to foreign countries?

• Silent H:

  • How do you pronounce “hour”? What do you usually do in your free hour?

  • Do you think “honest” is an important quality? Can you give an example of an honest person?

• Silent K:

  • What’s your favorite kind of knowledge to gain? Is it academic or practical?

• Silent L:

  • Do you prefer talking or listening? Why?

• Silent M:

  • How do you say “mnemonic”? Do you use any memory tricks to help you remember things?

• Silent N:

  • How do you pronounce “autumn”? Do you like the autumn season? What do you enjoy about it?

• Silent O:

  • Can you say “leopard” without the O sound? Have you ever seen a leopard at the zoo?

  • Do you think “enough” is a difficult word to pronounce? When was the last time you felt like you had enough of something?

• Silent P:

  • How do you pronounce “pneumonia”? Have you ever had pneumonia?

  • Can you say “receipt” clearly? Do you usually keep receipts after shopping?

• Silent S:

  • Can you say “aisle” clearly? How can you use this word? Give examples.

  • How do you pronounce “island”? Would you like to live on an island?

• Silent T:

  • How do you pronounce “castle”? Have you ever visited a castle? Where was it?

  • Do you say “often” with a T sound or without it? Why?

• Silent U:

  • How do you pronounce “queue”? What do you usually wait in line for?

• Silent W:

  • How do you pronounce “write”? Do you prefer writing by hand or typing on a computer?

  • Can you say “wrist” without the W sound? Do you wear a watch on your wrist?

• Say X:

  • How do you pronounce “exam” & “examine”? Make your sentences with these words.

  • Can you say “extra” clearly? Do you like to do extra work or prefer to relax?

Listening Practice

Dicsuss these questions with your partner.

1. When someone’s talking to you about something important, what helps you show them you’re truly listening — besides just nodding?

2. Have you ever walked away from a conversation thinking, “I thought they understood me, but maybe not”? What made you feel that way?

3. Why do some conversations feel more meaningful or satisfying than others — even if the topic is the same?

Look at the quotes and discuss them

1. “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” – Stephen R. Covey

2. “The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.” – Stephen R. Covey

3. “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” – Albert Einstein

4. “Paraphrasing is not repeating. It’s proving you’re listening.” – Unknown