You may wonder why some letters in English remain silent in particular words during articulation and why some words are not uttered in the same way they are written or spelled.
No more wondering! In this post, We’ll explore the reasons and different patterns that can help us know when some particular letters are not pronounced though they are spelled.
There are some patterns that the English language usually follows regarding silent letters. English words borrowed from other languages may have silent letters if the words have silent letters in the original/source language. The lack of development of the spelling system compared to pronunciation is also responsible for silent letters.
Chapters
- Common Conditions/Patterns of Silent Letters in English
- When Does the Letter “A” Remain Silent?
- When Does “B” Remain Silent?
- When Does the Letter “C” Remain Silent?
- When Does “D” Remain Silent?
- When Does the Letter “E” Remain Silent?
- When Does “G” Remain Silent?
- When Does the Letter “H” Remain Silent?
- When Does “K” Remain Silent?
- When Does the Letter “L” Remain Silent?
- When Does “M” Remain Silent?
- When Does the Letter “N” Remain Silent?
- When Does “P” Remain Silent?
- When Does the Letter “S” Remain Silent?
- When Does “T” Remain Silent?
- When Does the Letter “W” Remain Silent?
- Caution! No Confusion between Letters and Sounds
- In Conclusion
Common Conditions/Patterns of Silent Letters in English
Language is arbitrary, and so is English. We always cannot answer all the “whys” related to language. However, there is hope. Being considerable to arbitrariness, having a close observation may help find a pattern that the English language usually follows. I have researched and found some rules/patterns that can help identify them.
| Silent Letter | Condition(s) | Example(s)/Pronunciation |
| A | If any adverb ends with “ally” | Logically /ˈlɒdʒɪkli/ |
| B | If preceded by “M” If followed by “T” | Plumber /ˈplʌmə/ Doubt /daʊt/ |
| C | If preceded by “S” | Muscle /ˈmʌs(ə)l/ |
| D | If followed by “G” | Bridge /brɪdʒ/ |
| E | If found at the end of any word | Like /lʌɪk/ |
| G | If followed by “N” | Sign /sʌɪn/ |
| H | If preceded by “W,” “C,” “G,” or “R” | Whisper /ˈwɪspə/ Echo /ˈɛkəʊ/ Ghost /ɡəʊst/ Rhythm /ˈrɪð(ə)m/ |
| K | If comes as an initial letter and is followed by “N” | Knight /nʌɪt/ |
| L | If preceded by vowels “A,” “O,” or “U” | Half /hɑːf/ Folk /fəʊk/ Would /wʊd,wəd/ |
| N | If comes as an ending letter and is preceded by “M” | Column /ˈkɒləm/ |
| P | If comes as an initial letter and is followed by “S,” “T,” or “N” | Psychology /sʌɪˈkɒlədʒi/ Ptarmigan /ˈtɑːmɪɡ(ə)n/ Pneumatic /njuːˈmatɪk/ |
| S | If preceded by “I” | Island /ˈʌɪlənd/ |
| T | NO specific/usual rule | Listen /ˈlɪs(ə)n/ |
| W | If comes as an initial letter and is followed by “R” | Write /rʌɪt/ |
To learn English pronunciation from a native British speaker to take your accent to the next level, you may try the course Perfect English Pronunciation: British English (Udemy link).
If you want to improve your American pronunciation skills, I would recommend you try American English Pronunciation (Udemy link). The course will help you to master basic English sounds and start speaking like an American with confidence!
To many of us, silent letters may seem a misuse of letters or useless at times. Still, it’s impossible to ignore reality. As an ESL speaker, it is always best to follow how native speakers speak English. Well! If the table seems confusing, as you may find some exceptions in some words, in the rest of the post, I’ve explained the conditions in detail with more examples.
When Does the Letter “A” Remain Silent?
The letter “A” remains silent in adverbs that end with “ally.”
Examples:
- Basically
- Logically
- Accidentally
- Musically
- Romantically
When Does “B” Remain Silent?
The letter “B” remains silent when preceded by “M” or followed by “T.”
Examples:
- Comb
- Plumber
- Dumb
- Debt
- Doubt
When Does the Letter “C” Remain Silent?
The letter “C” usually remains silent when it has “S” as a preceding Letter.
Examples:
- Muscle
- Scissors
- Scenario
- Crescent
- Science
Warning! Some words are exceptions to this rule.
When Does “D” Remain Silent?
The letter “D” remains silent when it is followed by the letter “G.”
Examples:
- Bridge
- Edge
- Grudge
- Badge
- Gadget
Remember! “D” is also not uttered in words: Wednesday, sandwich, handsome, handkerchief.
When Does the Letter “E” Remain Silent?
The letter “E” is usually not pronounced when placed at the end of any word.
Examples:
- Take
- Like
- Mine
- Spine
- Homemade
Warning! Some words are exceptions to this rule.
When Does “G” Remain Silent?
“G” usually remains silent when it is followed by “N.”
Examples:
- Assign
- Sign
- Design
- Foreign
- Gnome
Remember! “Magnet,” “Igneous,” “Cognitive,” and “Signature” are exceptions to this rule. In these words, “G” is prominently uttered.
When Does the Letter “H” Remain Silent?
“H” is often not pronounced when it has “W,” “C,” “G,” and “R” as preceding letters.
Examples:
- What
- Whisper
- Echo
- Ghost
- Rhythm
Remember! “H” remains silent at the beginning of many like “Hour,” “Honest,” “Heir.”
When Does “K” Remain Silent?
If the letter “K” comes as an initial letter and is followed by “N” in a word, “K” remains silent.
Examples:
- Know
- Knight
- Knee
- Knock
- Knot
When Does the Letter “L” Remain Silent?
“L” usually remains silent if preceded by vowels “A,” “O,” “U,”
Examples:
- Would
- Calm
- Half
- Almond
- Folk
Exceptions! “Halo,” “Bulk,” “Sulk,” “Hold,” “Sold,” and “Fold” are exceptions to this rule.
When Does “M” Remain Silent?
Whoops! “Mnemonic” is the only word in English with a silent “M” at the beginning.
When Does the Letter “N” Remain Silent?
If the letter “N” comes as an ending letter and is preceded by “M” in a word, “N” remains silent.
Examples:
- Autumn
- Column
- Hymn
- Condemn
- Solemn
Remember! “Chimney,” “Alumni,” “Circumnavigate,” “Dimness,” “Gymnastics,” and “Randomness” are the exceptions to this rule.
When Does “P” Remain Silent?
“P” remains silent if it comes as an initial letter and is followed by “S,” “T,” and “N.”
Examples:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Ptarmigan
- Pneumonia
- Pneumatic
Remember! “Receipt” is also another word that takes a silent “P” while uttered.
When Does the Letter “S” Remain Silent?
“S” remains silent if it is preceded by “I.”
Examples:
- Isle
- Island
- Illinois
- Islet
- Aisle
When Does “T” Remain Silent?
In many words, in English, “T” remains silent. There is no identifiable rule regarding the silence of “T.”
Examples:
- Listen
- Christmas
- Castle
- Tsunami
- Whistle
When Does the Letter “W” Remain Silent?
“W” is not pronounced if it comes as an initial letter and is followed by “R.”
Examples:
- Write
- Wrap
- Wrong
- Wrestle
- Wrinkle
Remember! The examples I have put above are not the only words that have silent letters. There are hundreds of other words like them.
Caution! No Confusion between Letters and Sounds
Don’t get confused between Letters and sounds. Letters are written or spelled, and sounds are uttered or spoken. We use letters to convey sounds. Every single letter in the English alphabet produces at least one sound.
Some letters produce more than one sound. That’s why we have 44 sounds in English, whereas there are only 26 letters. So, we should not merely depend on the letters to correctly utter any word; rather, focusing on sounds would help us to speak English well.
In Conclusion
I hope the rules I shared regarding silent letters will help you to improve your pronunciation and speaking skills.
Thanks for reading.
happy learning.
