The word ‘listen’ contains the same letters as the word ‘silent’.
– Alfred Brenel
English spelling and its pronunciation is not exactly easy for learners of English. When we add the fact that there are many letters in English words that are silent, it is even harder to get the pronunciation correct in English.
This is why I have written a list of common letter combinations with silent letters.
This list contains most of the silent letters that give English as a second language students difficulties.
Silent B
B is not pronounced when following M at the end of a word:
- climb
- crumb
- dumb
- comb
- numb
Silent C
C is not pronounced in the ending –scle:
- muscle
Silent D
D is not pronounced in the following common words:
- handkerchief
- sandwich
- Wednesday
Silent E
E is not pronounced at the end of words and usually makes the vowel long:
- hope
- drive
- gave
- write
- site
Silent G
G is not often pronounced when followed by an N :
- champagne
- foreign
- sign
- feign
Silent GH
GH is not pronounced before T and at the end of many words (especially irregular past simple verbs):
- thought
- caught
- bought
- brought
- through
- daughter
- might
- fight
- sight
- right
- weigh
Silent H
H is not pronounced when following W before vowels a, e, i, y:
- what
- where
- when
- whether
- which
- why
Silent W
W is not pronounced when before H before the vowel O:
- who
- whose
- whom
Silent H
H is not pronounced at the beginning of many words. Use the article ‘an’ with an unvoiced H. Here are some of the most common words:
- hour
- honest
- honour
- heir
Pronounced H
H is pronounced though at the beginning of these words. Use the article ‘a’ with a voiced H:
- hill
- herb
- hospital
- history
- height
- happy
- hangover
See my YouTube video on how to know which indefinite article (a/an) to use according to the pronunciation not spelling.
Silent K
K is not pronounced when followed by N at the beginning of a word:
- knife
- knee
- know
- knock
- knowledge
Silent L
L is not often pronounced before L, D, F, M, K:
- calm
- half
- salmon
- talk
- balk
- would
- could
- should
Silent N
N is not pronounced following M at the end of a word:
- autumn
- hymn
Silent P
P is not pronounced at the beginning of many words using the suffix pych and pneu:
- psychiatrist
- psychotherapy
- psychotic
- pneumonia
Silent S
S is not pronounced before L in the following words:
- island
- isle
Silent T
T is not pronounced in these common words:
- castle
- Christmas
- fasten
- listen
- often
- whistle
- thistle
Silent U
U is not pronounced before 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
Check out my Ask Us Anything Live video on this topic to have some explanations of the words above.
Intrepid English Members can study pronunciation in more detail with our extensive Pronunciation self-study course, included in all Intrepid English Membership options.