About 60% of the words in the English language have a silent letter. The English language contains only 26 alphabets and has been influenced by other languages like French and Latin. Therefore it can be a hard language to learn especially if you are not a native/bilingual English speaker.

Basic rules for silent letters

Silent B

In words that end with the suffix “mb”, b becomes silent. For example, in words like comb and numb, where b comes after m at the end of a sentence it becomes silent. So the pronunciation of the word comb is “com”.

In root words i.e., words that are in their original form and no prefixes and suffixes have been added to them, b is not pronounced if it comes before t. For example, words like debt, doubt, and subtle are pronounced as “det”, “da-out” and “su- tle”, respectively.

Silent C

C is not pronounced in the SC combination, or when it comes before K or Q in a word. Some examples are Muscle, Ascent, Fascinate, Acknowledge, Acquit, etc. Although there are some exceptions such as Sclera, and Sceptic.

Silent D

D is not pronounced when it comes before G in a word, like Pledge, Hedge, etc. Some popular words with silent D are Handsome, Sandwich, and Wednesday.

Silent G

With some exceptions, G is silent before N. Some examples are Sign, Feign, and Align. The exceptions include Magnet and Cognitive. The combination GH is silent when it follows a vowel. For example, Sigh, Weight, Might, Daughter, etc. When two complete words are combined, this rule becomes redundant. For example, Doghouse, Bighead, etc.

Silent H

H is silent when preceded by W. When, Why, and Whether, are some examples of this. H is also silent at the beginning of many words like Hour, Heir, and Honest. H is also silent when it comes after the letters C, G, or R. For example, Choir, Ghoul, and Rhythm.

Silent K

K is silent in words where it is followed by N at the beginning of a word. For example, Knife, Know, Knead, etc.

Silent L

With some exceptions, L is silent after the vowels A, O, and U. For example, Calm, Should, and Folk. The exceptions include Halo, Sulk, and Bulk. hold.

Silent N

Hymn, Solemn, and Column are examples of words where N is silent when it comes after M at the end of a word.

Silent P

The letter P is silent in combinations of PS, PT, and PN, usually at the beginning of words like Psychiatrist, or Pseudo.

Silent S

In words where S comes before L, S is silent. Example Island, Aisle, Isle.

Silent U

In words where U comes in between G and a vowel, it becomes silent. For example, Guess, Guitar, Guard.

Silent W

At the beginning of a word when W is followed by R, it becomes silent. For example, Wrap, Wrong, Wrist, Wring, and Wrestle.

Table

Frequently asked questions

What are some commonly used words with silent letters?

Some commonly used words with silent letters are Wednesday, hate, sign, honest, knife, mnemonic, autumn, column, condemn, damn, hymn, solemn, aisle, island, and debris.

What are some top-scoring words with silent letters in Scrabble?

Some top-scoring words with silent letters in scrabble: Succumb, Conscience, Fluorescent, Resuscitate, Transcend, Handkerchief, Wednesday, Vegetable, Champagne, Archaeology, Choreograph, Monarchy, Parliament, Knowledge, and Psychotherapy.

What are the words with the most silent letters?

Words with the most silent letters are Beaulieu (correctly pronounced as Bewley), Warwick( correctly pronounced as Worrick), and Gloucester and Leicester (correctly pronounced as Gloster and Lester)

What are some words with silent first letters?

Some words with silent first letters are knack, knave, kneel, knead, knee, knew, knickers, knife, knight, knit, knob, knock, knoll, knot, know, knowledge, and knuckle.

What are some words with silent last letters?

Some words with silent last letters are Aplomb, Bomb, Climb, Comb, Coulomb, Crumb, Age, Breathe, Bridge, Change, Gene, Hate, Like, Love, Vegetable, Autumn, Column, Damn, and Hymn.

Is the letter G silent in ‘Gnome’?

Yes, the letter G is silent in ‘Gnome’.

What are some top-scoring words with silent letters in scrabble?

Some top-scoring words with silent letters in scrabble are Playwright, Silhouette, Christmas, Psychotherapy, Psychology, Psychiatrist, Pneumonia, Knowledge, and Knuckle.

What are some words with silent middle letters?

Some words with silent middle letters are CHTHONIC, PHLEGM, PTERODACTYL, MUSCLE, MNEMONIC, ASTHMA, APROPOS, and RECEIPT.

What are some commonly misspelled words with silent letters?

Some commonly misspelled words with silent letters are Climb, bomb, crumb, numb, comb, Knee, knit, knight, knot, knitting, Castle, butcher, match, listen, Ghost, honest, what, mechanic, Wrap, answer, wreck, whole.

How many words are there that start with a silent letter?

Over 90 words in the English language start with a silent letter. Some examples are Writing, Gnu, Gnomonic, knurl, Heir, Honest, Hour, Herb, Knight, etc.

Do silent letters count in the game of Scrabble?

Yes, even though you are not pronouncing the letters, they are a part of the word, and the word won’t make any sense if the letters are missing. Therefore, the silent letters account for the points scored.

How can I know if the word contains a silent letter?

Generally, this comes by practice. The more you know the language the easier it will be for you to recognize the silent letters. There are certain rules, as mentioned, that will help you identify some common silent letters. Of course, there are some exceptions to the rules but with practice, it will become clear.

What is the most common everyday use of a word with a silent letter?

We use word and the application WhatsApp every day. It is one of the most commonly used everyday words with a silent letter that is “h”.