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Words with silent letters

Words with silent letters

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Tutor: Jonathan

Summary

Words with silent letters

In a nutshell 

There are words that consist of letters that do not always need to be pronounced, yet are included in order to be spelt correctly. Some words with silent letters have their origins in other languages and some have been carried over from Early or Modern English. In this summary, you will learn about some common and less common letters that are silent.



Silent letters

There are letters that are more commonly silent than others. 'H' is one of the most common silent letters.


Example

​​silent letter

​​word with silent letter

b
climb, debt
c
scissors, 
g
sign, foreign
h
​hour, rhyme​
k
know, knife
t
castle, rustle
u
tongue, guess
s
island, aisle
w
​wrong, write​



Less common silent letters

These letters can also be silent. This means you do not pronounce them when they are included in a word. However, these letters are less common. 


Example

​​silent letter

word with silent letter

d
edge, Wednesday
p
psychology, pseudo
n
autumn, column


Tip: The letter 'n' is usually silent when placed after the letter 'm'. The letter 'p' is usually silent when placed before the letter 's'. 

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Words with silent letters

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FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

What are words with silent letters?

There are words that consist of letters that do not always need to be pronounced, yet are included in order to be spelt correctly.

Why does English have so many words with silent letters?

Some words with silent have their origins in other languages and some have been carried over from Early or Modern English.

What are the most common silent letters?

The most common silent letters are 'b', 'c', 'g', 'h', 'k', 't', 'u', 's' and 'w'.

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