The Sounds of Silence: Unravelling the Mystery of Silent Letters in English 🤫🔍
I stayed in a SUIT or a SUITE?
ON a trip to San Francisco I overheard a conversation between an Italian family and the receptionist in a hotel. Their conversation was similar to the following:
CUSTOMER: There are only 2 beds but we booked THE SUIT.
RECEPTIONIST: Sorry I don’t understand. The suit?
CUSTOMER: Yes the SUIT with a jacuzzi and a view of the port.
RECEPTIONIST: Ah yes of course the SUITE. Our suite has two beds and an additional fold out bed…
What’s the Deal with Silent Letters?
Since English is NOT a phonetic language, pronunciation in English can be very difficult for learners. Silent letters can be a tricky one since we might not know which letters are silent. This can make you get nervous and not want to speak English.
The best way to learn correct pronunciation is through listening, practice, and getting good feedback. Sign up for React English. Gain confidence and improve pronunciation right now!
Why Do Silent Letters Exist?
Think of them as linguistic fossils—left over from language evolution. The English language has changed a lot overtime. Silent letters tell tales of ancient pronunciations, borrowed words, and historical evolution. For example the ‘K’ in knight or knife were originally pronounced but over time the K sound was lost and just the N is pronounced.
SOME EXAMPLES WITH AUDIO!
TAKE A LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING SILENT LETTERS LISTEN TO THE AUDIO AND PRACTISE REPEATING THE SOUNDS
Silent B – B is not pronounced when following M at the end of a word.
Word | Phonetic Script |
|
Climb | klaɪm | He climbed the mountain |
crumb | krʌm | There were bread crumbs all over the table. |
dumb | dʌm | That guy is dumb. |
comb | kəʊm | I need to comb my hair. |
Silent D – D is not pronounced in the following common words:
WORD | Phonetic Script | Examples |
Handkerchief | ˈhæŋkəʧiːf | My grandfather is old school and uses a handkerchief to blow his nose. |
sandwich | ˈsænwɪʤ | Let’s pick up some sandwiches for the trip. |
Wednesday | ˈwɛnzdeɪ | I have English class on Wednesday |
Silent K – K is not pronounced when followed by N at the beginning of a word.
Word | Phonetic Script | Examples |
Knife | naɪf | Be careful using that knife. It’s sharp. |
knee | niː | I hurt my knee playing basketball |
know | nəʊ | I don’t know him but I know his brother. |
Silent L – L is often not pronounced before L, D, F, M, K.
Word | Phonetic Script | Examples |
Calm | kɑːm | Stay calm. |
Half | hɑːf | He only ate half his sandwich. He wasn’t very hungry |
Salmon | ˈsæmən | I’ll have the grilled salmon please. |
Talk | tɔːk | I would like to talk with the manager. |
Would | wʊd | Would you like to go now? |
Should | ʃʊd | Should I call a taxi? |
Silent S – S is not pronounced before L in the word ISLAND:
Word | Phonetic Script | Examples |
Island | ˈaɪlənd | I would like to be on an island in the sun. |
Silent T – T is not pronounced in these common words:
Word | Phonetic Script | Examples |
Castle | ˈkɑːsᵊl | We visited many castles on our trip to Scotland |
listen | ˈlɪsᵊn | Listen to me |
whistle | ˈwɪsᵊl | Whistle while you work.🎵 |
