Words with Silent Letters in English - Silent Words Examples, List, Pronunciation and Exercise

List of Words With Silent Letters

Silent A

Silent "a" often appears in adverbs ending in -ically, where the letter is not pronounced.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Artistically	The sculpture was artistically designed.	/ɑːrˈtɪstɪkli/
Romantically	They danced romantically under the stars.	/roʊˈmæntɪkli/
Logically	Logically, his argument made perfect sense.	/ˈlɒdʒɪkli/
Musically	She is musically gifted.	/ˈmjuːzɪkli/

Silent B

Silent "b" usually appears in words ending in -mb or -bt.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Climb	We decided to climb the mountain.	/klaɪm/
Lamb	The farmer raised a flock of lambs.	/læm/
Doubt	I have no doubt about her abilities.	/daʊt/
Comb	He used a comb to tidy his hair.	/koʊm/
Debt	She struggled to pay off her debt.	/dɛt/
Thumb	He accidentally hit his thumb with a hammer.	/θʌm/
Subtle	Her subtle smile conveyed her gratitude.	/ˈsʌtl/
Numb	My fingers were numb from the cold.	/nʌm/

Silent C

Silent "c" is found in combinations like sc or cn.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Science	Science has greatly advanced human progress.	/ˈsaɪəns/
Fascinating	The book was absolutely fascinating.	/ˈfæsɪneɪtɪŋ/
Muscle	He pulled a muscle during the workout.	/ˈmʌsl/
Scissors	She used scissors to cut the paper.	/ˈsɪzərz/
Scene	The opening scene of the movie was gripping.	/siːn/
Crescent	The moon was a beautiful crescent shape.	/ˈkrɛznt/
Conscience	Her conscience wouldn’t let her lie.	/ˈkɒnʃəns/
Scenario	Let’s consider a different scenario.	/səˈnɛərioʊ/

Silent D

Silent "d" is common in words like bridge or Wednesday.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Bridge	They crossed the bridge to reach the castle.	/brɪdʒ/
Badge	The officer wore a shiny badge.	/bædʒ/
Hedge	The garden was surrounded by a tall hedge.	/hɛdʒ/
Edge	Be careful near the edge of the cliff.	/ɛdʒ/
Handsome	He is a handsome young man.	/ˈhændsəm/
Sandwich	She packed a sandwich for lunch.	/ˈsænwɪtʃ/
Wednesday	The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.	/ˈwɛnzdeɪ/
Fudge	The dessert was rich with chocolate fudge.	/fʌdʒ/

Silent E

The silent "e" often modifies the pronunciation of the preceding vowel.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Kite	The kids flew a colorful kite in the park.	/kaɪt/
Love	They share a deep love for music.	/lʌv/
Debate	They had a heated debate on the topic.	/dɪˈbeɪt/
Desire	His desire to learn was evident.	/dɪˈzaɪər/
Name	Please write your full name on the form.	/neɪm/
Make	She wants to make a difference in the world.	/meɪk/
Breathe	Take a moment to breathe deeply.	/briːð/
Please	Please close the door behind you.	/pliːz/

Silent G

Silent "g" occurs in words with gn or -igh combinations.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Gnome	A gnome stood in the garden as decoration.	/noʊm/
High	The kite soared high into the sky.	/haɪ/
Light	Turn off the light before going to bed.	/laɪt/
Sign	The sign on the door said “Closed.”	/saɪn/
Resign	He decided to resign from his position.	/rɪˈzaɪn/
Champagne	They celebrated with a bottle of champagne.	/ʃæmˈpeɪn/
Benign	The tumor was thankfully benign.	/bɪˈnaɪn/
Cologne	He bought a new bottle of cologne.	/kəˈloʊn/

Silent H

The letter "h" is silent in many words, often due to their Greek, French, or Old English origins.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Echo	His voice created an echo in the empty hall.	/ˈɛkoʊ/
Ache	She felt an ache in her lower back.	/eɪk/
Monarch	The monarch ruled for over 50 years.	/ˈmɑːnərk/
Ghost	Many believe the old house is haunted by a ghost.	/ɡoʊst/
School	She attends a prestigious school.	/skuːl/
Hour	It will take an hour to complete the task.	/aʊr/
Honest	He’s always been honest with his opinions.	/ˈɒnɪst/
Character	The main character was deeply flawed.	/ˈkærɪktər/

Silent I

Silent "i" is rare but appears in some commonly used words.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Business	Running a business requires dedication.	/ˈbɪznɪs/

Silent J

Silent "j" is found in some borrowed words, primarily from Spanish.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Marijuana	The use of marijuana is legal in some states.	/ˌmærɪˈwɑːnə/

Silent K

The letter "k" is silent in words beginning with kn.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Knife	Be careful when using a sharp knife.	/naɪf/
Knit	She learned to knit scarves during the winter.	/nɪt/
Knot	He tied a secure knot in the rope.	/nɒt/
Know	Do you know the answer to the question?	/noʊ/
Knowledge	Acquiring knowledge is a lifelong pursuit.	/ˈnɒlɪdʒ/
Knight	The knight fought bravely in battle.	/naɪt/
Knuckle	He scraped his knuckle on the rough surface.	/ˈnʌkəl/
Knee	He fell and hurt his knee while running.	/niː/

Silent L

Silent "l" is common in words with -alk, -alm, or -ould combinations.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Salmon	They served grilled salmon for dinner.	/ˈsæmən/
Almond	She prefers almond milk to regular milk.	/ˈɑːmənd/
Talk	Let’s talk about the project later.	/tɔːk/
Should	You should study more for the exam.	/ʃʊd/
Would	He would like to visit Paris someday.	/wʊd/
Walk	They went for a walk in the park.	/wɔːk/
Half	She ate only half of the pizza.	/hæf/
Calm	Try to stay calm in stressful situations.	/kɑːm/

Silent M

Silent "m" appears in rare words of Greek origin.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Mnemonic	Use a mnemonic to remember the formula.	/nɪˈmɒnɪk/

Silent N

The letter "n" is often silent when preceded by m at the end of a word.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Autumn	The leaves change color in autumn.	/ˈɔːtəm/
Column	Each column in the spreadsheet contains data.	/ˈkɒləm/
Condemn	They will condemn any act of violence.	/kənˈdɛm/
Solemn	The ceremony was a solemn occasion.	/ˈsɒləm/
Hymn	The choir sang a beautiful hymn.	/hɪm/
Damn	He muttered a soft damn under his breath.	/dæm/

Silent O

Silent "o" is rare and mostly found in unique words.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Colonel	The colonel inspected the troops.	/ˈkɜːrnəl/

Silent P

The letter "p" is silent in many scientific or medical terms.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Psychology	She’s studying psychology at university.	/saɪˈkɒlədʒi/
Raspberry	He picked a fresh raspberry from the bush.	/ˈræzˌbɛri/
Receipt	Keep the receipt for proof of purchase.	/rɪˈsiːt/
Cupboard	The cups are stored in the cupboard.	/ˈkʌbərd/
Pneumonia	He was hospitalized with pneumonia.	/njuːˈmoʊniə/
Pseudonym	The author wrote under a pseudonym.	/ˈsuːdənɪm/

Silent Q

Silent "q" is rare and mainly found in words borrowed from French.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Lacquer	She applied a shiny coat of lacquer to the wood.	/ˈlækər/

Silent R

The letter "r" is silent in non-rhotic accents (e.g., British English) when it follows a vowel and is not followed by another vowel.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Iron	He pressed his shirt with an iron.	/ˈaɪən/

Silent S

Silent "s" is common in French-derived words.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Aisle	She walked down the aisle during the ceremony.	/aɪl/
Island	They vacationed on a remote tropical island.	/ˈaɪlənd/
Viscount	The viscount inherited a vast estate.	/ˈvaɪkaʊnt/
Debris	The earthquake left a trail of debris.	/dəˈbriː/
Bourgeois	His family has a bourgeois lifestyle.	/ˈbʊrʒwɑː/

Silent T

Silent "t" often appears in words with -stle, -ten, or -tch combinations.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Castle	They explored an ancient castle in Scotland.	/ˈkæsl/
Listen	Please listen carefully to the instructions.	/ˈlɪsən/
Mortgage	She applied for a mortgage to buy a house.	/ˈmɔːɡɪdʒ/
Watch	Don’t forget to watch the sunset.	/wɒtʃ/
Christmas	They decorated the tree for Christmas.	/ˈkrɪsməs/
Whistle	He gave a loud whistle to call the dog.	/ˈwɪsl/
Fasten	Please fasten your seatbelt before takeoff.	/ˈfɑːsən/

Silent U

Silent "u" often appears in words with gu or gue combinations.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Baguette	He bought a fresh baguette from the bakery.	/bæˈɡɛt/
Guess	Can you guess the correct answer?	/ɡɛs/
Guitar	He plays the guitar beautifully.	/ɡɪˈtɑːr/
Guilty	She felt guilty about forgetting his birthday.	/ˈɡɪlti/
Guide	The guide led them through the museum.	/ɡaɪd/
Tongue	The cat licked her hand with its rough tongue.	/tʌŋ/
Colleague	She had a meeting with a colleague this morning.	/ˈkɒliːɡ/

Silent W

The letter "w" is often silent in words beginning with wr or in some specific contexts.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Wrong	You took the wrong turn on the highway.	/rɒŋ/
Sword	The knight drew his sword during the battle.	/sɔːrd/
While	While waiting, she read a book.	/waɪl/
Write	Please write your name clearly.	/raɪt/
Two	She bought two tickets for the show.	/tuː/
Wrist	He wore a watch on his left wrist.	/rɪst/
Wrapper	The candy wrapper was thrown in the bin.	/ˈræpər/

Silent X

Silent "x" is primarily found in words borrowed from French.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Faux	She wore a faux fur coat to the party.	/foʊ/

Silent Y

Silent "y" appears in certain words where it doesn’t contribute to pronunciation.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Prayer	She said a quiet prayer before dinner.	/prɛər/

Silent Z

Silent "z" occurs in French-derived words, often in formal contexts.

Word	Example Sentence	Transcription
Laissez-faire	The government adopted a laissez-faire policy.	/ˌleɪseɪˈfɛər/
Rendezvous	They arranged a rendezvous at the café.	/ˈrɒndeɪvuː/

Why Are There Silent Letters?

Silent letters have historical roots. English spelling often reflects how words were pronounced centuries ago. As pronunciation evolved, many sounds became silent, but the spellings remained unchanged. Silent letters also exist due to the influence of other languages, like French, Latin, and Greek, which contributed to the development of English vocabulary.

Illustration of Words with Silent Letters in English

Types of Silent Letters in English

Auxiliary Silent Letters: Affect the pronunciation of adjacent letters (e.g., make, breathe).
Dummy Silent Letters: Have no phonetic function but remain in the spelling (e.g., knife, island).

Common Mistakes

Pronouncing Silent Letters:

Mistake: Pronouncing the "k" in knife.
Correction: The correct pronunciation is /naɪf/.

Spelling Errors:

Mistake: Writing lamb as lam.
Correction: Keep the silent "b" in lamb.

Confusing Words with Similar Spellings:

Mistake: Mixing up write and right.
Correction: Use context to choose the correct word.

Ignoring Silent Letters in Writing:

Mistake: Spelling doubt as dout.
Correction: Include the silent "b" in doubt.

Overpronouncing Silent Letters:

Mistake: Pronouncing the "p" in psychology.
Correction: The correct pronunciation is /saɪˈkɒlədʒi/.

FAQ

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Silent letters exist due to historical spelling conventions and the influence of other languages like French, Latin, and Greek.

Which silent letters are the most common?

The most common silent letters are b, k, w, and e in words like comb, knife, write, and name.

How can I remember words with silent letters?

Practice frequently, use flashcards, and focus on common patterns like kn- for silent "k" or -mb for silent "b".

Do silent letters affect pronunciation?

Yes, silent letters often modify the pronunciation of adjacent vowels or consonants, such as the silent "e" in make, which lengthens the "a" sound.

Are there exceptions to silent letter rules?

Some regional accents may pronounce certain letters that are silent in standard English, but these instances are rare.