Mastering Silent Words to Improve Your English

Silent Words: One of the main tasks while learning and speaking English is silent letters. It’s the main hurdle when it comes to pronunciation, spelling and can jeopardize your speaking tasks during IELTS, TOEFL, or in school. In order to get that boost of confidence and improve your English language, mastering silent words is a must! 

Must Read: How to Improve English Vocabulary?

What are Silent Words? 

Silent letters are letters in words that are not pronounced. These letters are very important while writing and usually make a huge difference. This difference is between the meaning and pronunciation of the word. To understand these words and letters better there are some rules given below. 

Also Read: The Best Binge-Watch Worthy Series for Learning English

Rules for Silent Letters and Words

Silent Letters	Rules	Explanation
B	The letter B is usually not pronounced after M at the end of a word. For example comb, bomb, thumb, climb, tomb, crumb, lamb.	It is usually not pronounced before the letter T. For example doubt, doubtful, subtle, debt.
C	The letter C is usually not pronounced in the combination of SC. For example, scissors, ascent, fascinate, muscle.	C is usually mute before the letters K and Q. For example, aqua, acquit, acquiesce.
D	The letter D is silent when it appears before the letters N and G. For example, Wednesday, cadge, pledge, grudge.	D is not pronounced in the following Common words. For example, Wednesday, handsome, handkerchief, sandwich
E	If the letter E comes at the ends of words, it is generally not pronounced.  For example, fore, table, before, write, give, hide.	If E occurs before the letter D in the second and third forms of the verbs, E may sometimes not be pronounced. For example, bored, fixed, smuggled, begged.
G	The G letter is not pronounced when it comes before N in a word. For example Design, foreign, sign, gnash, align. Exceptions- magnet, igneous, cognitive, signature
GH	GH is not pronounced when it comes after a vowel in a word. For example, high, light, thought, through alight.	Exceptions: GH is pronounced separately in compound words. Except for examples from Rule 1, GH is sometimes pronounced like F, consider the words like draught, cough, laugh, tough.
H	The letter H is usually silent when it appears after W. For example Why, what, when, weather, where. Sometimes the letter H is not silent after W, consider the words below. For example whose, whosoever, who, whoever, whole.	H is mute at the beginning of many words (remember to use the article “an” with unvoiced H). For example, hour, honest, honour, heir.  Exceptions: Most of the words beginning with H are not silent (remember to use the article “a” with voiced H) For example history, history, hair, happy.
K	The letter K is always silent when it precedes the letter N in a word. For example, know, knock, knife, knight, knowledge.
L	The letter L is usually not pronounced after the vowels: A, O, and U. For example, calf, half, palm, would, should, could, folk, yolk.
N	The letter N is not pronounced when it comes after M at the end of a word. For example, column, damn, solemn, autumn.
P	The letter P is not pronounced at the beginning of many words using the combinations PS, PT, and PN. For example, psalm, psephology, pterodactyl, pneumonia, pneumatic.
PH	PH is sometimes pronounced like F. For example, paragraph, elephant, telephone.
S	The letter S is not pronounced before L in the following words, aisle, island, isle, islet.
T	The letter T is not pronounced in the following common English words: castle, Christmas, fasten, listen, often, beret, Chevrolet, whistle, thistle, bustle, hasten, soften, rapport, gourmet, ballet.
U	The letter U is not pronounced when it comes after G and before a vowel in a word. For example, guide, guest, guard, guest, guano.
W	The letter W is not pronounced at the beginning of a word when it is before the letter R. For example Write, wrest, wrong, wrack, wrap.	W is silent in the following words, who, whose, whole, whom, whose, whoever, answer, sword, two.

Must Read: Improve Your Pronunciation with These Tongue Twisters

Related Posts

Idioms	Synonyms	Antonyms
Idioms to Express Sadness	Synonyms of Ephemeral	Antonyms of Brave
Idioms to Express Surprise	Synonyms of Welcome	Antonyms of Selfish
Idioms to Express Friendship	Synonyms of Cry	Antonyms of Victim
Idioms to Express Excitement	Synonyms of Huge	Antonyms of Misogyny
No Pain No Gain Meaning	Synonyms of Jovial	Antonyms of Lazy

List of Silent Letters and Words

Letters	Words
Silent B	aplomb bomb climb comb coulomb crumb doubt dumb jamb lamb limb numb plumb subtle succumb thumb tomb womb
Silent C	abscess ascent ascent conscience conscious crescent descend descent disciple evanesce fascinate fluorescent muscle obscene resuscitate scenario science scene scissors
Silent D	bridge edge handkerchief handsome handful grandson ledger sandwich Wednesday
Silent E	hate name breathe
Silent K	knack knave knead knee kneel knell knew knickers knife knight knit knob knock knoll knot know knowledge knuckle
Silent L	would should calf half salmon talk yolk
Silent P	psychology pneumonia pseudo psychiatrist psychiatry psychotherapy psychotic receipt
Silent U	baguette biscuit build building built circuit disguise guess guest guide guild guilt guilty guise guitar rogue silhouette
Silent N	autumn column condemn damn hymn solemn
Silent T	apostle bristle bustle castle fast hustle listen moisten often
Silent M	mnemonic

Worried About IELTS? Take a Demo Class with Leverage Live Experts and Learn the Coolest Ways to Ace the Exam in One-Go!

FAQs

We hope this list of silent words will help you improve your English. If you are planning to study abroad then cracking IELTS is a must! Our Leverage Edu experts will provide you with end-to-end assistance from application to Visa process. Call us at 1800 57 2000 to book a FREE 30-minutes counselling session today.