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in Learn English

What are Silent Letter Words and Common Examples

When you first learn English, silent words can be quite confusing. Silent words are words that are not pronounced when you say the words out loud. Almost 60% of English words contain silent letters. Also, almost every alphabet can act as a silent letter. In this article, we will go over some of the most common silent letter words and learn why they exist. We will help you improve your English speaking skills!

Silent letter words

Silent Letter Words

Silent letter words are words that contain a word that isn’t heard when it’s said aloud. You might wonder, then what is the purpose of having the silent letter in a word? Well, there are actually a few different reasons why silent words exist.

Why do silent letters exist?

The first reason is to differentiate homophones. Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings. For example, “knight” and “night” are pronounced the same way, but mean different things. The word “knight” refers to a historical term for a mounted soldier serving a king and “night” refers to the period between sunset and sunrise. Even if they were spelled the same way, you would probably be able to figure out the meaning by reading the whole sentence and understanding the context. However, the difference in the spelling makes it easier for us to figure it out.

The second reason is that a lot of words come from languages other than English. Here are some examples:

  • Ballet – from French. “T” is silent.
  • Tsunami – from Japanese. “T” is silent.
  • Psychology – from Greek. “P” is silent.

 

Silent Letter Words Examples

Here we will go over some of the most commonly used silent letter word examples.

Bomb

Bomb

Silent letter: “b” at the end

Sounds like: Baam

Calf

Calf

Silent letter: “l”

Sounds like: kaf

Change

Change

Silent letter: “e”

Sounds like: Chaynj

Climb

Climb

Silent letter: “b”

Sounds like: klime

Crumb

Crumb

Silent letter: “b”

Sounds like: kruhm

Debt

Debt

Silent letter: “b”

Sounds like: det

Echo

Echo

Silent letter: “h”

Sounds like: ehkow

Fascinate

Fascinate

Silent letter: “c”

Sounds like: fasuhnayt

Handsome

Handsome

Silent letter: “d”

Sounds like: hansm

Honest

Honest

Silent letter: “h”

Sounds like: aanuhst

Knife

Knife

Silent letter: “k”

Sounds like: nife

Lamb

Lamb

Silent letter: “b”

Sounds like: lam

Muscle

Muscle

Silent letter: “c”

Sounds like: muhsl

Salmon

Salmon

Silent letter: “l”

Sounds like: samuhn

Sandwich

Sandwich

Silent letter: “d”

Sounds like: san-wich

Scene

Scene

Silent letter: “c”

Sounds like: seen

Thumb

Thumb

Silent letter: “b”

Sounds like: thuhm

Womb

Womb

Silent letter: “b”

Sounds like: woom

FAQs About Silent Letter Word

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about words with silent letter words.

How do you identify silent letters in English?

Generally, the best way to identify silent letters is by using the dictionary. However, once you learn the common silent letter words, you’ll be able to identify patterns such as half and calf, or calm and palm.

Is V ever silent in a word?

There are no words with a silent V.

What is the silent letter in Wednesday?

The letter “d” is silent in the word Wednesday.

What is the silent W rule?

General rule: W is silent in words beginning with “wr”.

What word has a silent J?

The word marijuana has a silent J. It sounds like “meh-ruh-waa-nuh.”

Do you say L in salmon?

The “l” in salmon is a silent word, so you do not pronounce it.

More English Speaking Resources

  • 30 Best Tongue Twisters for English Pronunciation
  • IELTS Speaking Evaluation: Fluency, Vocab, Grammar & Pronunciation
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Silent Letter Words: Join the Conversation

Did you learn a new silent letter word? If yes, which one is it? If you know another English word with a silent letter, leave it in the comments! We’d love to hear from you.

About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 20 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 100 books for English teachers and English learners, including 101 ESL Activities for Teenagers and Adults, Great Debates for ESL/EFL, and 1001 English Expressions and Phrases. She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

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