Learning Silent Letter Words

About 60% of English words contain silent letters. So it’s important for our kids to learn how to spot them.

There are some rules that will help explain which letters are silent, but as with all English rules – there are always exceptions to the rule.

Silent A Words

Rule: A is not pronounced in many adverbs, where the words ends in –ally. For example: stoically, logically.

Here's a list of common silent A words:

Silent B Words

Rule 1: B is not pronounced after m at the end of the word. For example: limb, comb, thumb

Rule 2: B is usually not pronounced before t at the end of a root word. For example: debt, subtle, doubt

Here’s a list of common silent B words:

silent B words

Silent C Words

Rule 1: C is not pronounced in the combination sc. For example: scissors, scenario, muscle

As we mentioned, there are often exceptions to the rule in English.

Here are the sc exceptions: sclera, sclerosis, muscovado, sceptic

Rule 2: C is usually redundant before the letter k or q. For example: quick, acquaintance

Here’s a list of common silent C words:

Silent CH Words

This one is easy – there is only one silent ch word – yacht.

Silent D Words

Rule 1: D is not pronounced in the following common words: Wednesday, sandwich, handsome, handkerchief

Rule 2: D is also not pronounced in the combination dg. For example: pledge, hedge

Here’s a list of common silent D words:

Silent E Words

Rule: E is most commonly not pronounced at the end of words. For example: peace, homemade, horse
There are exceptions to this rule – giraffe, brunette, cassette, gazelle – for example.

Here’s a list of some of the hundreds of common silent E words:

Silent G Words

Rule: G is often not pronounced when it comes after n. For example: foreign, design, align

The exceptions are magnet, igneous, cognitive, signature

Here’s a list of common silent G words:

Silent GH Words

Rule 1: GH is not pronounced with it comes after a vowel. For example: drought, daughter, light

The exceptions are compound words, such as doghouse and foghorn

Rule 2: GH is sometimes pronounced f. For example: tough, laugh, enough

Here’s a list of common silent GH words:

Silent H Words

Rule 1: H is not pronounced when it comes after w. For example: whisper, what, where

Rule 2: H is not pronounced at the beginning of many words. For example; hour, honest, heir

There are some exceptions here, including hill, history, height, happy, hereditary

Rule 3: H is often not pronounced when it comes after c, g or r. For example: choir, echo, rhythm

Here’s a list of common silent H words:

Silent K Words

Rule: K is not pronounced when it comes before an n at the beginning of a word. For example: knee, know, knock.

Here’s a list of common silent K words:

Silent L Words

Rule: L is not pronounced after the vowels a, o and u. For example: calm, would, salmon.
The exceptions to the rule are: halo, bulk, sulk, hold, sold, fold and mould.

Here’s a list of common silent L words:

silent L words