Silent a
You should never pronounce the letter ‘a’ before ‘lly’ at the end of a word.
Artistically
Romantically
Logically
Musically
Silent b
The letter ‘b’ is usually a silent letter when it is before a‘t’ and also after ‘m’ at the end of a
word. The word ‘obtain’ is an exception to these rules.
Climb
Numb
Lamb
Doubt
Comb
Debt
Thumb
Subtle
Silent c
The letter ‘c’ is usually silent after an‘s’.
Science
Fascinating
Muscle
Scissors
Scene
Crescent
Conscience
Scenario
Silent d
‘D’ is usually silent when it comes before an ‘n’ or ‘g’. ‘Sandwich’ and ‘handsome’ also have a
silent ‘d’, even if the ‘d’ is after the ‘n’.
Bridge
Badge
Hedge
Edge
Handsome
Sandwich
Wednesday
Fudge
Silent e
If an ‘e’ is at the end of a word, the vowel before it becomes a longer vowel sound. This was
called a ‘magic e’ when I was in primary school.
Hope
drive
gave
write
site
Silent G
‘G’ usually is not pronounced if it comes before an ‘n’, such as a ‘sign’. However, two
exceptions are ‘magnet’ and ‘signature’, where the ‘g’ is pronounced.
It’s also not pronounced if it comes after a vowel and before an ‘h’, such as ‘high’.
Silent GH - GH is not pronounced before T and at the end of many words
Thought
through
daughter
light
might
right
fight
weigh
Silent h
‘H’ usually is silent when it is after a ‘w’, such as ‘when’ or ‘where’. It is not silent, however,
when an ‘o’ follows it like ‘who’.
Remember, when the ‘h’ is silent, use the article an instead of a.
What
when
where
whether
why
Silent H - H is not pronounced at the beginning of many words. Use the article "an" with
unvoiced H. Here are some of the most common:
Hour
Monarch
Ache
Echo
Ghost
Honest
Character
Silent i
Business
Silent k
‘K’ is almost always silent when it comes before the letter ‘n’ such as ‘knife’.
Knife
knee
know
knock
knowledge
Silent L - L is often not pronounced before L, D, F, M, K.
Calm
half
salmon
talk
balk
would
should
Silent n
The letter ‘n’ is normally silent if it comes after ‘m’ at the end of a word.
Autumn
Damn
Column
Hymn
Solemn
Condemn
Silent P
P is not pronounced at the beginning of many words using
the suffix "psych". ‘P’ is usually silent in these combinations: ‘ps’ and ‘pn’ when they are at the
beginning of words, and ‘pt’ and ‘pb’.
Cupboard
Psychology
Receipt
Raspberry
Silent S - S is not pronounced before L in the following words: The letter ‘s’ is not pronounced
before the letter ‘i’.
Island
Isle
Aisle
Silent T - T is not pronounced in these common words. In words that end in ‘sten’ and
‘stle‘, ‘t’ is usually silent.
Castle
Christmas
fasten
listen
often
whistle
thistle
Silent U - U is not pronounced before after G and before a vowel.
guess
guidance
guitar
guest
Silent W - W is not pronounced at the beginning of a word followed by an R.
Wrap
write
wrong
Silent W - W is not pronounced with these three pronouns. It is silent also when it is followed by
a ‘ho‘ combination at the beginning of a word such as ‘whole‘.
Who
whose
whom
