Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Silent Words

Silent Letters In English

1.Silent B

-> B is not pronounced when following M at the end of a word.

Climb
Crumb
Dumb
Comb

-> The "b" is often silent when followed by a "t":

debt,
doubt.
But not always:
obtain
obstruct.

2. Silent C

-> C is not pronounced when word ends with “scle”

Muscle

-> The "c" is silent when preceded by an "s" followed by an 'e' or an 'i' at the beginning of a word:

scenic
scenario
science.

3. Silent D

-> D is not pronounced in following common words

Sandwich
Wednesday (The underlined d is not pronounced)
Handkerchief

4. Silent E

-> E is not pronounced at the end of words and usually makes the vowel long

Hope
Drive
Gave
Write
Site

5. Silent G

-> G is not often pronounced when followed by an N

Champagne (If you will notice H is also silent in this word)
foreign
sign
feign

6. Silent GH

-> GH is not pronounced before T and at the end of many words

Thought
Might
Right
Fight
Weigh
Weight
Though
Daughter
Light
Knight
night
bought.


7. Silent H

-> H is not pronounced when following W

White
Whale
Which

-> The "h" is silent when preceded by a "p":
shepherd.

-> The "h" is silent when preceded by a "g":
ghost.

-> The "h" is silent when it comes between two vowels:
vehicle.

-> The "h" is silent when followed by the letter 'r':
rhythm.

-> The "h" is silent when preceded by the letters 'ex':
exhausted

8. Silent K

-> K is not pronounced when followed by N at the beginning of a word

Know
Knock
Knowledge
Knight
Knife
Knee
knot

9. Silent L

-> L is often not pronounced before L, D, F, M, K

Calm
Half
Salmon
Talk
Walk
Would
Should
Tall
Ball
Call

10. Silent N

-> N is not pronounced following M at the end of a word

Autumn
Hymn
autumn
column

11. Silent P

-> P is not pronounced at the beginning of many words using the suffix “Psych” and “Pneu”

Psychiatric
Psychiatrist
Pneumonia
Psychological
Psychotherapy
Psychotic

12. Silent S

-> S is not pronounced before L in the following words

Island
Isle
aisle.


13. Silent T

-> T is not pronounced in these common words

Castle
Christmas
Fasten
Listen
Often
Whistle
Thistle

14. Silent U

-> U is not pronounced before after G and before a vowel

Guess
Guidance
Guitar
Guest

15. Silent W

-> W is not pronounced at the beginning of a word followed by an R

Wrap
Write
Wrong
Sword (In this word W is also silent)