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 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
Silent letter: “b” at the end
Sounds like: Baam
Calf
Silent letter: “l”
Sounds like: kaf
Change
Silent letter: “e”
Sounds like: Chaynj
Climb
Silent letter: “b”
Sounds like: klime
Crumb
Silent letter: “b”
Sounds like: kruhm
Debt
Silent letter: “b”
Sounds like: det
Echo
Silent letter: “h”
Sounds like: ehkow
Fascinate
Silent letter: “c”
Sounds like: fasuhnayt
Handsome
Silent letter: “d”
Sounds like: hansm
Honest
Silent letter: “h”
Sounds like: aanuhst
Knife
Silent letter: “k”
Sounds like: nife
Lamb
Silent letter: “b”
Sounds like: lam
Muscle
Silent letter: “c”
Sounds like: muhsl
Salmon
Silent letter: “l”
Sounds like: samuhn
Sandwich
Silent letter: “d”
Sounds like: san-wich
Scene
Silent letter: “c”
Sounds like: seen
Thumb
Silent letter: “b”
Sounds like: thuhm
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
- ESL Pronunciation Games, Activities, Worksheets and Lesson Plans
- TOEIC Speaking Test Samples: Improve your TOEIC Score
- Conversation Starters for Adults | ESL Conversation & Discussion Topics
- Discussion Starters for Children | ESL Conversation Topics for Kids
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.
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