Why & When Some Letters Are Silent in English

Hey there! Some links on this page are affiliate links which means that, if you choose to make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I greatly appreciate your support!

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.  

Are you looking for a book or a guide to help you learn and improve your English? You may try English Made Easy Volume One: A New ESL Approach: Learning English Through Pictures (Amazon Link).

Chapters

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 LetterCondition(s)Example(s)/Pronunciation
AIf any adverb ends with “ally”Logically
/ˈlɒdʒɪkli/
BIf preceded by “M”

If followed by “T”
Plumber
/ˈplʌmə/

Doubt
/daʊt/
CIf preceded by “S”  Muscle
/ˈmʌs(ə)l/
DIf followed by “G”Bridge
/brɪdʒ/
EIf found at the end of any wordLike
/lʌɪk/
GIf followed by “N”Sign
/sʌɪn/
HIf preceded by “W,” “C,” “G,” or “R”Whisper
/ˈwɪspə/

Echo
/ˈɛkəʊ/

Ghost
/ɡəʊst/

Rhythm
/ˈrɪð(ə)m/
KIf comes as an initial letter and is followed by “N”Knight
/nʌɪt/
LIf preceded by vowels “A,” “O,” or “U”Half
/hɑːf/

Folk
/fəʊk/

Would
/wʊd,wəd/
NIf comes as an ending letter and is preceded by “M”Column
/ˈkɒləm/
PIf comes as an initial letter and is followed by “S,” “T,” or “N”Psychology
/sʌɪˈkɒlədʒi/

Ptarmigan
/ˈtɑːmɪɡ(ə)n/

Pneumatic
/njuːˈmatɪk/
SIf preceded by “I”Island
/ˈʌɪlənd/
TNO specific/usual ruleListen
/ˈlɪs(ə)n/
WIf comes as an initial letter and is followed by “R”Write
/rʌɪt/
The table shows different conditions/patterns of silent letters in English

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.

Niaj A A Khan is an ESL Instructor with over 8 years of experience in teaching & developing resources at different universities and institutes. Mr. Khan is also a passionate writer working on his first book, "Learn English at Ease."

Leave a Comment