200+ Words with Silent Letters in English (A-Z Rules & IPA Pronunciation Guide)
One of the most frustrating aspects of the English language is the presence of letters we write but never pronounce. These are known as silent letters. While there is no single universal rule, mastering certain patterns and rules can significantly improve your pronunciation skills and boost your confidence.
In this comprehensive, we break down the most common silent letter rules from B to Z, provide over 200 essential words with silent letters with their IPA phonetic symbols, and include an interactive quiz and FAQ section.
🚀 Quick Navigation (A-Z Silent Letters)
💡 What Are Silent Letters?
A silent letter is a letter that appears in the spelling of a word but is not heard in the spoken pronunciation. They often exist to preserve the word’s history (etymology) or to differentiate between words (e.g., *knew* vs. *new*).
- **Example:** **K**now (/nō/), Wallk (/wôk/).
Note: The Silent A section has been removed as ‘A’ is rarely, if ever, truly silent in English; it often changes to a schwa sound (/ə/) rather than being omitted entirely.
📌 Words with Silent Letters B-Z: Correct Rules and IPA Examples
Words with Silent Letters (B)
| Rule | Examples (Silent Letter Highlighted) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| ‘B’ is usually silent when it comes directly after **M** at the end of a word. | Bomb, Climb, Comb, Crumb, Dumb, Lamb, Numb, Plumber, Thumb | /bɒm/, /klaɪm/, /koʊm/, /krʌm/, /dʌm/, /læm/, /nʌm/, /plʌmər/, /θʌm/ |
| ‘B’ is silent when it comes before **T**. | Debt, Doubt, Subtle | /dɛt/, /daʊt/, /sʌtəl/ |
Words with Silent Letters (C)
| Rule | Examples (Silent Letter Highlighted) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| ‘C’ is sometimes silent when it follows **S**. | Ascend, Descend, Fascinate, Muscle, Scissors | /əˈsɛnd/, /dɪˈsɛnd/, /ˈfæsɪneɪt/, /ˈmʌsəl/, /ˈsɪzərz/ |
Words with Silent Letters (D)
| Rule | Examples (Silent Letter Highlighted) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| ‘D’ is often silent before **N** for ease of pronunciation. | Handkerchief, Handsome, Sandwich, Wednesday | /ˈhæŋkərtʃɪf/, /ˈhænsəm/, /ˈsænwɪdʒ/, /ˈwɛnzdeɪ/ |
Words with Silent Letters (E)
| Rule | Examples (Silent Letter Highlighted) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| ‘E’ is silent when it comes at the **end of a word** (and often lengthens the preceding vowel). | Age, Bake, Breathe, Kite, Like, Love, Name, Please | /eɪdʒ/, /beɪk/, /briːð/, /kaɪt/, /laɪk/, /lʌv/, /neɪm/, /pliːz/ |
| ‘E’ in the past tense suffix **-ed** is often silent (unless the base word ends in D or T). | Asked, Closed, Washed | /æskt/, /kloʊzd/, /wɑːʃt/ |
Words with Silent Letters (G)
| Rule | Examples (Silent Letter Highlighted) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| ‘G’ is usually silent when it precedes **N**. | Assign, Campaign, Design, Foreign, Resign, Sign, Gnome | /əˈsaɪn/, /kæmˈpeɪn/, /dɪˈzaɪn/, /ˈfɒrɪn/, /rɪˈzaɪn/, /saɪn/, /noʊm/ |
| ‘G’ is part of the silent **GH** combination (after a vowel). | Bright, Daughter, High, Light, Night, Through | /braɪt/, /ˈdɔːtər/, /haɪ/, /laɪt/, /naɪt/, /θruː/ |
Words with Silent Letters (H)
| Rule | Examples (Silent Letter Highlighted) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| ‘H’ is often silent at the **beginning of a word**, especially before ‘O’. | Honest, Honour, Hour, Echo | /ˈɒnɪst/, /ˈɒnər/, /aʊər/, /ˈɛkoʊ/ |
| ‘H’ is often silent after **W** (common in modern American English accents). | What, When, Where, Why, White | /wɑːt/ (/wʌt/), /wɛn/, /wɛər/, /waɪ/, /waɪt/ |
| ‘H’ is silent after **R** and in many words of Greek origin (after C). | Rhyme, Rhythm, Chaos, Character, Technique | /raɪm/, /ˈrɪðəm/, /ˈkeɪɒs/, /ˈkærəktər/, /tɛkˈniːk/ |
Words with Silent Letters (K)
| Rule | Examples (Silent Letter Highlighted) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| ‘K’ is **always** silent when it precedes **N** at the beginning of a word. | Knee, Knead, Knife, Knight, Knob, Knock, Know, Knowledge, Knuckle | /niː/, /niːd/, /naɪf/, /naɪt/, /nɒb/, /nɒk/, /noʊ/, /ˈnɒlɪdʒ/, /ˈnʌkəl/ |
Words with Silent Letters (L)
| Rule | Examples (Silent Letter Highlighted) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| ‘L’ is often silent when it precedes **M, F, K, or D**. | Almond, Balm, Calf, Calm, Half, Palm, Salmon, Chalk, Folk, Talk, Walk | /ˈɑːmənd/, /bɑːm/, /kɑːf/, /kɑːm/, /hɑːf/, /pɑːm/, /ˈsæmən/, /tʃɔːk/, /foʊk/, /tɔːk/, /wɔːk/ |
| ‘L’ is silent in modal verbs. | Could, Should, Would | /kʊd/, /ʃʊd/, /wʊd/ |
Words with Silent Letters (N)
| Rule | Examples (Silent Letter Highlighted) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| ‘N’ is **usually** silent when it follows **M** at the end of a word (with some exceptions like *hymn*). | Autumn, Column, Damn, Solemn | /ˈɔːtəm/, /ˈkɒləm/, /dæm/, /ˈsɒləm/ |
Words with Silent Letters (P)
| Rule | Examples (Silent Letter Highlighted) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| ‘P’ is usually silent in the letter combinations **PS, PN**, and **PT** at the beginning of a word. | Pneumonia, Psalm, Psychic, Psychology, Pterodactyl | /njuːˈmoʊniə/, /sɑːm/, /ˈsaɪkɪk/, /saɪˈkɒlədʒi/, /tɛrəˈdæktɪl/ |
| Other common words. | Coup (French origin), Cupboard, Receipt, Raspberry | /kuː/, /ˈkʌbərd/, /rɪˈsiːt/, /ˈræzbɛri/ |
Words with Silent Letters (S)
| Rule | Examples (Silent Letter Highlighted) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| ‘S’ is often silent when it precedes **L** in certain words. | Aisle, Island, Islet | /aɪl/, /ˈaɪlənd/, /ˈaɪlɪt/ |
Words with Silent Letters (T)
| Rule | Examples (Silent Letter Highlighted) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| ‘T’ is often silent in the combinations **-sten** and **-stle**. | Castle, Fasten, Listen, Moisten, Soften, Whistle | /ˈkæsəl/, /ˈfɑːsən/, /ˈlɪsən/, /ˈmɔɪsən/, /ˈsɒfən/, /ˈwɪsəl/ |
| ‘T’ is often silent before **ch**. | Butcher, Catch, Match, Watch | /ˈbʊtʃər/, /kætʃ/, /mætʃ/, /wɒtʃ/ |
| ‘T’ is silent in French loan words ending in **-et**. | Ballet, Buffet, Gourmet | /bæˈleɪ/, /ˈbʊfeɪ/, /ˈɡʊərmeɪ/ |
Words with Silent Letters (U)
| Rule | Examples (Silent Letter Highlighted) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| ‘U’ often has no independent sound and only modifies the pronunciation of G. | Guess, Guitar, Guest | /ɡɛs/, /ɡɪˈtɑːr/, /ɡɛst/ |
Words with Silent Letters (W)
| Rule | Examples (Silent Letter Highlighted) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| ‘W’ is always silent when it precedes **R** at the beginning of a word. | Wrap, Wreck, Wrestle, Wrist, Write, Wrong, Wrote | /ræp/, /rɛk/, /ˈrɛsəl/, /rɪst/, /raɪt/, /rɒŋ/, /roʊt/ |
| Other common words where ‘W’ is silent. | Answer, Sword, Two, Whole | /ˈænsər/, /sɔːrd/, /tuː/, /hoʊl/ |
Words with Silent Letters (X)
| Rule | Examples (Silent Letter Highlighted) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| ‘X’ is silent in certain French loan words, often representing a historical plural. | Faux, Bordeaux, Châteaux | /foʊ/, /bɔːrˈdoʊ/, /ˈʃætoʊ/ |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Why do English words have silent letters?
A: Silent letters exist for several historical and linguistic reasons. They often reflect an older pronunciation (e.g., *knight* used to be pronounced with the ‘k’ and ‘gh’), preserve the word’s original spelling from Latin or Greek, or help differentiate homophones (e.g., *knew* vs. *new*).
Q2: Is there a universal rule to spot a silent letter?
A: No single universal rule exists. However, learning the key letter combinations (KN-, WR-, MB, GH) covered in the tables above provides the most reliable way to identify them.
Q3: How can the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) help me with silent letters?
A: The IPA is crucial. Unlike standard spelling, IPA symbols represent only the sounds you actually speak. If a letter is missing from the IPA transcription (like the ‘K’ in /noʊ/ for *know*), you know it’s a silent letter.
🧠 Test Your Skills: Interactive Quiz
Test your knowledge of silent letters with these quick questions:
[qwiz]
[q multiple_choice=”true”] Which letter is silent in the word “Plumber”?
[c]IFA=[Qq]
[c]IFI=[Qq]
[c]IE I=[Qq]
[q multiple_choice=”true”] What is the correct pronunciation for “Island”?
[c]IC/LiGHJqm zJmW5kLw==[Qq]
[f]PHNwYW4+PC9zcGFuPg==[Qq]
[c]IC/JqsuIc2zJkcuQbmQv[Qq]
[c]IC/JqnPLiGzDpm5kLw==[Qq]
[q multiple_choice=”true”] Which rule applies to the silent letter in “Wednesday”?
[c]IFNpbGVudCBFIHJ1bGUu[Qq]
[c]IFNpbGVudCBIIHJ1bGUu[Qq]
[c]IEQgaXMgb2Z0ZW4gc2ls ZW50IGJlZm9yZSBOLg==[Qq]
[/qwiz]
🔗 Enhance Your Learning (Internal and External Linking)
To further improve your mastery of English pronunciation and grammar, check out these related resources:
- Prepositions List (A-Z) – 200+ Preposition words
- List of Contraction | 100+ Contraction Words
- External Resource: Merriam-Webster Dictionary (for verified pronunciations)
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