This list contains most of the common silent letters and combinations that cause difficulties for English learners. Here are the rules to help you understand when to use some silent letters, but remember there are usually some exceptions!
(Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of all the rules around silent letters, only some of the most common ones that you may come across):
Silent B
Rule 1: B is not pronounced after M at the end of a word.
Examples: limb, crumb, dumb, comb, bomb, thumb, climb, tomb
Rule 2: B is usually not pronounced before T at the end of a root word.**
Examples: debt, doubt, debtor, doubtful, subtle, subtleness
**A root word is the original word in its root form without any prefixes or suffixes attached e.g. doubt is the root word in doubtful, and the ‘ful’ is a suffix. Subtle is the root word, and ‘ness’ is a suffix.
Silent C
Rule 1: C is not pronounced in the combination SC.
Examples: Muscle, scissors, ascent, miscellaneous, fascinate, scenario
Exceptions: Sclera, asclepiad, sclerosis, muscovado, sceptic
Rule 2: C is usually redundant before the letters K or Q.
Examples: Acquaintance, acknowledge, acquiesce, acquit
Silent D
Rule 1: D is not pronounced in the following common words:
Handkerchief, Wednesday, sandwich, handsome
Rule 2: D is also not pronounced in the combination DG.
Examples: Pledge, dodge, grudge, hedge
Silent E
Rule: E is not pronounced at the end of words, but instead elongates the sound of the vowel before it.
Examples: Hope, drive, gave, write, site, grave, bite, hide
Exceptions: Giraffe, brunette, cassette, gazelle (You may be able to spot a pattern in these words; they have similar combinations in the last syllable. This shows that the exceptions are generally words with unusual stress on the final syllable – but not always! One example would be the word ‘minute’ as in the time-measuring unit.)
Silent G
Rule: G is not often not pronounced when it comes before N.
Examples: Champagne, foreign, sign, feign, foreign, design, align, cognac
Exceptions: Magnet, igneous, cognitive, signature
Silent GH
Rule 1: GH is not pronounced when it comes after a vowel.
Examples: Thought, drought, through, thorough, borough, daughter, light, might, sigh, right, fight, weigh, weight
Exceptions: Doghouse, foghorn, bighead (As you can see, the exceptions are generally compound words i.e. words that have been formed by combining two complete words)
Rule 2: GH is sometimes pronounced like F.
Examples: rough, tough, laugh, enough, cough, clough, draught
Exceptions: Examples from rule 1!
Silent H
Rule 1: H is not pronounced when it comes after W (n.b. some speakers whisper the H before the W).
Examples: what, when, where, whether, why
Rule 2: H is not pronounced at the beginning of many words (remember to use the article “an” with unvoiced H).
Examples: hour, honest, honour, heir
Exceptions: hill, history, height, happy, hereditary (Plus most other words beginning with H that are NOT of French origin – and remember to use the article “a” with voiced H)
Rule 3: H is often not pronounced when it comes after C, G or R.
Examples: choir, chorus, ghastly, ghoul, aghast, echo, rhinocerous, rhythm
Silent K
Rule: K is not pronounced when it comes before N at the beginning of a word.
Examples: knife, knee, know, knock, knowledge, knead
Silent L
Rule: L is not pronounced after the vowels A, O and U.
Examples: calm, half, talk, walk, would, should, could, calf, salmon, yolk, chalk, folk, balm
Exceptions: Halo, bulk, sulk, hold, sold, fold, mould
Silent N
Rule: N is not pronounced when it comes after M at the end of a word.
Examples: Autumn, hymn, column, solemn
Silent P
Rule: P is not pronounced at the beginning of many words using the combinations PS, PT and PN.
Psychiatrist, pneumonia, pneumatic, psychotherapy, psychotic, psychologist, pseudonym, Pterodactyl
Silent PH
Rule: PH is sometimes pronounced like F.
Examples: telephone, paragraph, alphabet, epiphany, sophomore
Silent S
Rule: S is not pronounced before L in the following words:
Island, isle, aisle, islet
Silent T
Rule: T is not pronounced in these common words:
Castle, Christmas, fasten, listen, often, whistle, thistle, bustle, hasten, soften, rapport, gourmet, ballet
Silent U
Rule: U is not pronounced when it comes after G and before a vowel.
Examples: guess, guidance, guitar, guest, guild, guard
Silent W
Rule 1: W is not pronounced at the beginning of a word when it is before the letter R.
Examples: wrap, write, wrong, wring, wreck, wrestle, wrap, wrist
Rule 2: W is not pronounced in the following words:
Who, whose, whom, whole, whoever, answer, sword, two
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