Silent Letters

Silent letters are letters you can see in a word but do not pronounce, and they are one of the reasons English spelling can feel unpredictable. In words like <em>knife</em>, the <em>k</em> is silent, while in <em>island</em> the <em>s</em> is not heard; in both cases, the spelling reflects the word's history more than its modern sound. These letters may appear at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a word, and they often preserve links to older forms of English or to words borrowed from other languages. Understanding them helps you make sense of why a word is written one way and said another.

221 entries in this category

Silent B

20
thumb

The B is silent

"He gave me a thumbs up with his thumb."

doubt

The B is silent

"I have no doubt that she will arrive on time."

debt

The B is silent

"They finally paid off the debt."

subtle

The B is silent

"Her subtle smile told me she understood."

dumb

The B is silent

"That was a dumb mistake, but he learned from it."

plumber

The B is silent

"We called a plumber to fix the leaking pipe."

climb

The B is silent

"It was hard to climb the steep hill."

limb

The B is silent

"A broken limb blocked the trail."

tomb

The B is silent

"The ancient tomb was sealed for centuries."

crumb

The B is silent

"A crumb fell onto the table."

lamb

The B is silent

"The lamb stayed close to its mother."

comb

The B is silent

"She used a comb to smooth her hair."

bomb

The B is silent

"The movie ended with a bomb exploding on screen."

number

The B is silent

"Please write your phone number here."

dumbbell

The B is silent

"He lifted a heavy dumbbell at the gym."

numb

The B is silent

"My fingers went numb in the cold."

womb

The B is silent

"The baby developed in the womb."

catacomb

The B is silent

"We explored a dark catacomb beneath the city."

succumb

The B is silent

"She refused to succumb to pressure."

limber

The B is silent

"After stretching, he felt more limber."

Silent C

20
muscle

The C is silent

"She strained a muscle while lifting the box."

scene

The C is silent

"The opening scene was filmed at dawn."

scent

The C is silent

"The scent of fresh bread filled the kitchen."

scissors

The C is silent

"He handed me the scissors to cut the paper."

science

The C is silent

"She has always loved science and experiments."

conscience

The C is silent

"His conscience would not let him lie."

crescent

The C is silent

"A crescent moon hung over the rooftops."

victuals

The C is silent

"The table was set with simple victuals for the journey."

fascia

The C is silent

"The contractor repaired the damaged fascia."

fascinate

The C is silent

"Old maps fascinate me because of their detail."

pronunciation

The C is silent

"Her pronunciation improved after months of practice."

chancery

The C is silent

"The records were kept in the old chancery."

indict

The C is silent

"The grand jury decided to indict the suspect."

indictment

The C is silent

"The indictment was announced in court on Monday."

biscuit

The C is silent

"I had a biscuit with my tea this morning."

victory

The C is silent

"Their victory surprised everyone in the stadium."

malice

The C is silent

"He spoke without malice or anger."

obscene

The C is silent

"The film was criticized for obscene language."

descend

The C is silent

"We began to descend the steep trail."

ascertain

The C is silent

"We need to ascertain the facts before deciding."

Silent D

19
handkerchief

The D is silent

"She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket."

fridge

The D is silent

"He put the milk back in the fridge."

Wednesday

The D is silent

"We have a meeting on Wednesday morning."

bridge

The D is silent

"The old bridge crosses the river."

badge

The D is silent

"He wore a badge on his jacket."

ledge

The D is silent

"The cat sat on the narrow ledge."

wedge

The D is silent

"She used a wedge to keep the door open."

pledge

The D is silent

"They made a pledge to help the team."

grudge

The D is silent

"He still held a grudge after all these years."

judge

The D is silent

"The judge listened carefully to both sides."

porridge

The D is silent

"He ate porridge for breakfast."

sledge

The D is silent

"The children rode down the hill on a sledge."

fudge

The D is silent

"She bought a box of chocolate fudge."

ridge

The D is silent

"We hiked along the mountain ridge."

trudge

The D is silent

"After hours in the snow, we had to trudge home."

budge

The D is silent

"The heavy door would not budge."

hedge

The D is silent

"A tall hedge surrounds the garden."

nudge

The D is silent

"He gave me a gentle nudge to start talking."

dodge

The D is silent

"She managed to dodge the falling branch."

Silent G

20
gnat

The G is silent

"A gnat hovered near the lamp."

gnaw

The G is silent

"Dogs often gnaw on bones."

gnome

The G is silent

"The garden gnome stood by the path."

gnarl

The G is silent

"The old tree had a gnarl in its trunk."

gnash

The G is silent

"He began to gnash his teeth in frustration."

gnawing

The G is silent

"She felt a gnawing hunger after the hike."

align

The G is silent

"Please align the pictures along the wall."

sign

The G is silent

"We saw a sign for the museum."

design

The G is silent

"Her design won first place."

resign

The G is silent

"He decided to resign from his job."

campaign

The G is silent

"The campaign focused on clean water."

foreign

The G is silent

"She learned several foreign phrases."

reign

The G is silent

"The king's reign lasted for decades."

feign

The G is silent

"He tried to feign surprise."

champagne

The G is silent

"They toasted with a glass of champagne."

benign

The G is silent

"The doctor said the growth was benign."

impugn

The G is silent

"They sought to impugn his credibility."

malign

The G is silent

"It is unfair to malign someone without proof."

paradigm

The G is silent

"This discovery may change the scientific paradigm."

hegemony

The G is silent

"The empire's hegemony slowly declined."

Silent GH

20
night

The GH is silent

"We walked home after night fell."

light

The GH is silent

"The light from the window was warm."

right

The GH is silent

"She took the right train downtown."

sight

The GH is silent

"The mountain was a beautiful sight."

might

The GH is silent

"We might leave earlier than planned."

high

The GH is silent

"The plane flew high above the clouds."

though

The GH is silent

"Though it was cold, we went outside."

through

The GH is silent

"We walked through the park."

thought

The GH is silent

"That thought stayed with me all day."

bought

The GH is silent

"He bought fresh bread from the market."

taught

The GH is silent

"My teacher taught us a new song."

caught

The GH is silent

"She caught the ball with one hand."

daughter

The GH is silent

"Their daughter starts school next week."

neighbor

The GH is silent

"Our neighbor watered the plants for us."

straight

The GH is silent

"Please drive straight until the light changes."

weight

The GH is silent

"The box was heavy, but its weight was manageable."

eight

The GH is silent

"We arrived at eight o'clock."

eighth

The GH is silent

"She finished in eighth place."

thigh

The GH is silent

"He pulled a muscle in his thigh during practice."

sleigh

The GH is silent

"The children rode in a bright red sleigh."

Silent H

20
heir

The H is silent

"She is the heir to the family farm."

honest

The H is silent

"He gave an honest answer to the question."

hour

The H is silent

"We waited for an hour before the train arrived."

honor

The H is silent

"It was an honor to meet the author."

heirloom

The H is silent

"The watch is a treasured family heirloom."

honorary

The H is silent

"She received an honorary degree from the university."

honesty

The H is silent

"Honesty is important in any friendship."

vehicle

The H is silent

"We parked the vehicle near the store."

exhaust

The H is silent

"The long hike began to exhaust the group."

ghost

The H is silent

"The children told stories about a ghost in the attic."

rhythm

The H is silent

"The song has a strong rhythm."

rhinoceros

The H is silent

"A rhinoceros can weigh several tons."

rhapsody

The H is silent

"The composer wrote a short rhapsody for piano."

rhetoric

The H is silent

"The speaker relied on rhetoric rather than facts."

scheme

The H is silent

"The new scheme was designed to save energy."

school

The H is silent

"The school opens at eight o'clock."

schedule

The H is silent

"Our schedule changed at the last minute."

chorus

The H is silent

"The chorus sang the final verse together."

echo

The H is silent

"Her voice seemed to echo through the hall."

anchovy

The H is silent

"He added an anchovy to the pizza."

Silent K

20
knife

The K is silent

"She cut the cake with a sharp knife."

knight

The K is silent

"The knight rode into the castle at dawn."

knock

The K is silent

"Please knock before you enter the room."

knee

The K is silent

"He hurt his knee while running."

kneel

The K is silent

"The child had to kneel to tie her shoe."

know

The K is silent

"I know the answer to your question."

knowledge

The K is silent

"Her knowledge of history is impressive."

knot

The K is silent

"He tied the rope in a tight knot."

knead

The K is silent

"You need to knead the dough for a few minutes."

knuckle

The K is silent

"He scraped his knuckle on the wall."

knave

The K is silent

"In the old story, the knave tried to trick the king."

knew

The K is silent

"I knew you would arrive on time."

knit

The K is silent

"My grandmother likes to knit scarves in winter."

knob

The K is silent

"Turn the knob to open the door."

knapsack

The K is silent

"He packed a map and water in his knapsack."

knoll

The K is silent

"They sat on a grassy knoll and watched the sunset."

knickers

The K is silent

"The old diary mentions a pair of wool knickers."

knightly

The K is silent

"He behaved in a knightly manner throughout the trial."

knitting

The K is silent

"She spent the evening knitting by the fireplace."

knockout

The K is silent

"The boxer won the match by knockout."

Silent L

20
calm

The L is silent

"She stayed calm during the interview."

talk

The L is silent

"We need to talk before dinner."

walk

The L is silent

"They took a long walk after lunch."

half

The L is silent

"I ate half the pizza."

salmon

The L is silent

"We had salmon for supper."

palm

The L is silent

"He held the coin in his palm."

could

The L is silent

"I could hear music from next door."

would

The L is silent

"She would like a cup of tea."

should

The L is silent

"You should call your mother."

folk

The L is silent

"They studied local folk songs."

yolk

The L is silent

"The yolk of the egg was bright yellow."

balk

The L is silent

"The horse began to balk at the gate."

stalk

The L is silent

"The gardener cut the tall stalks."

stalks

The L is silent

"The celery stalks were crisp and fresh."

walked

The L is silent

"She walked home in the rain."

talked

The L is silent

"We talked late into the night."

chalk

The L is silent

"Please write your name in chalk."

calmly

The L is silent

"He answered calmly and clearly."

qualm

The L is silent

"She felt no qualm about the decision."

balm

The L is silent

"The balm soothed the dry skin."

Silent N

3
known

The K is silent

"She has known him for many years."

autumn

The N is silent

"Leaves fall quickly in autumn."

column

The N is silent

"The museum has a marble column in the entrance hall."

Silent P

20
psychology

The P is silent

"She decided to study psychology in college."

psychic

The P is silent

"The psychic claimed to know what would happen next."

pneumonia

The P is silent

"He spent a week in the hospital with pneumonia."

pterodactyl

The P is silent

"The children were fascinated by the picture of a pterodactyl."

pterygium

The P is silent

"The doctor explained that the pterygium would need monitoring."

psalm

The P is silent

"The choir sang a psalm during the service."

pseudo

The P is silent

"His pseudo confidence did not fool anyone."

pseudonym

The P is silent

"The author wrote under a pseudonym."

psyche

The P is silent

"The novel explores the character's psyche."

psoriasis

The P is silent

"She uses a special cream to manage her psoriasis."

psychiatry

The P is silent

"He chose psychiatry as his medical specialty."

psychoanalysis

The P is silent

"The course introduced students to psychoanalysis."

psst

The P is silent

"Psst, come here and look at this."

pterosaur

The P is silent

"The museum displayed a model of a pterosaur."

ptomaine

The P is silent

"Old cookbooks once warned about ptomaine poisoning."

pneumatic

The P is silent

"The mechanic used a pneumatic drill."

pneumatics

The P is silent

"The factory relies on pneumatics for several machines."

pseudoscience

The P is silent

"The documentary warned viewers about pseudoscience."

psyllium

The P is silent

"She added psyllium to the recipe for extra fiber."

psychotherapist

The P is silent

"He met with a psychotherapist every Thursday."

Silent T

19
castle

The T is silent

"We toured an old castle on the hill."

listen

The T is silent

"Please listen carefully to the instructions."

fasten

The T is silent

"Fasten your seat belt before the car moves."

whistle

The T is silent

"He heard a whistle from across the field."

bustle

The T is silent

"The streets bustle with people after work."

thistle

The T is silent

"A thistle grew beside the stone wall."

glisten

The T is silent

"The wet leaves glisten in the morning light."

often

The T is silent

"We often walk home after dinner."

soften

The T is silent

"Heat will soften the butter quickly."

moisten

The T is silent

"Moisten the cloth before you clean the screen."

rapture

The T is silent

"The music filled her with rapture."

apostle

The T is silent

"The book describes the life of an apostle."

mortgage

The T is silent

"They signed the mortgage for their first house."

Christmas

The T is silent

"Christmas lights were shining on every street."

matchless

The T is silent

"The view from the summit was matchless."

castlelike

The T is silent

"The old tower had a castlelike appearance."

fastening

The T is silent

"The fastening on the backpack broke yesterday."

listening

The T is silent

"Listening closely helped me understand the problem."

whistleblower

The T is silent

"The whistleblower exposed the company's secret plan."

Silent W

20
wrist

The W is silent

"She sprained her wrist while playing soccer."

write

The W is silent

"Please write your name at the top of the page."

wrap

The W is silent

"I will wrap the gift in blue paper."

wreck

The W is silent

"The storm left the ship a wreck."

wren

The W is silent

"A tiny wren sang from the tree branch."

wrong

The W is silent

"I took the wrong train home."

wreath

The W is silent

"They hung a wreath on the front door."

sword

The W is silent

"The knight carried a sword at his side."

answer

The W is silent

"She knew the answer right away."

two

The W is silent

"We only need two tickets."

twelve

The W is silent

"The meeting starts at twelve noon."

whole

The W is silent

"He ate the whole pizza by himself."

who

The W is silent

"Who called me earlier today?"

whose

The W is silent

"Whose jacket is hanging by the door?"

whom

The W is silent

"Whom did you invite to dinner?"

wrote

The W is silent

"She wrote a letter to her grandmother."

wriggle

The W is silent

"The fish began to wriggle in his hands."

wrench

The W is silent

"He used a wrench to fix the pipe."

wrestle

The W is silent

"The children began to wrestle on the grass."

wright

The W is silent

"The play was written by a famous playwright named Wright."

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