Silent letters

####Rules of silent letters

This list contains most of the common silent letters and combinations that cause difficulties for English learners. Here are the rules to help you understand when to use some silent letters, but remember there are usually some exceptions!

(Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of all the rules around silent letters, only some of the most common ones that you may come across):

Silent B
Rule 1: B is not pronounced after M at the end of a word.
    Examples: limb, crumb, dumb, comb, bomb, thumb, climb, tomb [Nishant Sir #7572044618]

Rule 2: B is usually not pronounced before T at the end of a root word.**
    Examples: debt, doubt, debtor, doubtful, subtle, subtleness

**A root word is the original word in its root form without any prefixes or suffixes attached e.g. doubt is the root word in doubtful, and the ‘ful’ is a suffix. Subtle is the root word, and ‘ness’ is a suffix. [Nishant Sir #7572044618]

Silent C

Rule 1: C is not pronounced in the combination SC.
    Examples: Muscle, scissors, ascent, miscellaneous, fascinate, scenario  [Nishant Sir #7572044618]
    Exceptions: Sclera, asclepiad, sclerosis, muscovado, sceptic

Rule 2: C is usually redundant before the letters K or Q.
    Examples: Acquaintance, acknowledge, acquiesce, acquit

Silent D
Rule 1: D is not pronounced in the following common words:
    Handkerchief, Wednesday, sandwich, handsome

Rule 2: D is also not pronounced in the combination DG.
    Pledge, dodge, grudge, hedge [Nishant Sir #7572044618]

Silent E
Rule: E is not pronounced at the end of words, but instead elongates the sound of the vowel before it.

    Examples: Hope, drive, gave, write, site, grave, bite, hide
    Exceptions: Giraffe, brunette, cassette, gazelle (You may be able to spot a pattern in these words; they have similar combinations in the last syllable. This shows that the exceptions are generally words with unusual stress on the final syllable – but not always! One example would be the word ‘minute’ as in the time-measuring unit.)

Silent G
Rule: G is not often not pronounced when it comes before N.

    Examples: Champagne, foreign, sign, feign, foreign, design, align, cognac [Nishant Sir #7572044618]
    Exceptions: Magnet, igneous, cognitive, signature

Silent GH
Rule 1: GH is not pronounced when it comes after a vowel.

    Examples: Thought, drought, through, thorough, borough, daughter, light, might, sigh, right, fight, weigh, weight
    Exceptions: Doghouse, foghorn, bighead (As you can see, the exceptions are generally compound words i.e. words that have been formed by combining two complete words)

Rule 2: GH is sometimes pronounced like F.
    Examples: rough, tough, laugh, enough, cough, clough, draught
    Exceptions: Examples from rule 1! [Nishant Sir #7572044618]

Silent H
Rule 1: H is not pronounced when it comes after W (n.b. some speakers whisper the H before the W).
    Examples: what, when, where, whether, why

Rule 2: H is not pronounced at the beginning of many words (remember to use the article “an” with unvoiced H).
    Examples: hour, honest, honour, heir
    Exceptions: hill, history, height, happy, hereditary (Plus most other words beginning with H that are NOT of French origin – and remember to use the article “a” with voiced H)

Rule 3: H is often not pronounced when it comes after C, G or R.
    Examples: choir, chorus, ghastly, ghoul, aghast, echo, rhinocerous, rhythm [Nishant Sir #7572044618]

Silent K
Rule: K is not pronounced when it comes before N at the beginning of a word.
    Examples: knife, knee, know, knock, knowledge, knead

Silent L
Rule: L is not pronounced after the vowels A, O and U.
    Examples: calm, half, talk, walk, would, should, could, calf, salmon, yolk, chalk, folk, balm
    Exceptions: Halo, bulk, sulk, hold, sold, fold, mould

Silent N
Rule: N is not pronounced when it comes after M at the end of a word.
    Examples: Autumn, hymn, column, solemn

Silent P
Rule: P is not pronounced at the beginning of many words using the combinations PS, PT and PN.
    Psychiatrist, pneumonia, pneumatic, psychotherapy, psychotic, psychologist, pseudonym, Pterodactyl

Silent PH
Rule: PH is sometimes pronounced like F.
    Examples: telephone, paragraph, alphabet, epiphany, sophomore [Nishant Sir #7572044618]

Silent S
Rule: S is not pronounced before L in the following words:
    Island, isle, aisle, islet [Nishant Sir #7572044618]

Silent T
Rule: T is not pronounced in these common words:
    Castle, Christmas, fasten, listen, often, whistle, thistle, bustle, hasten, soften, rapport, gourmet, ballet

Silent U
Rule: U is not pronounced when it comes after G and before a vowel.
    Examples: guess, guidance, guitar, guest, guild, guard

Silent W
Rule 1: W is not pronounced at the beginning of a word when it is before the letter R.
    Examples: wrap, write, wrong, wring, wreck, wrestle, wrap, wrist [Nishant Sir #7572044618]

Rule 2: W is not pronounced in the following words:
    Who, whose, whom, whole, whoever, answer, sword, two