Silent Letter

Here is 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


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 not 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
Thought / through / daughter / light / might / right / fight / weigh


Silent H
H is not pronounced when following W.
Some speakers whisper the H before the W.
What / who / when / where / whether / why


Silent H
H is not pronounced at the beginning of many words. Use the article "an" with unvoiced H. Here are some of the most common:
Hour / honest / honor / heir / herb


Pronounced H
H is pronounced at the beginning of these common words. Use the article "a" with voiced H.
Hill / history / height / happy / hangover




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 often not pronounced before L, D, F, M, K.
Calm / half / salmon / talk / balk / would / 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 "psych" and "pneu".
Psychiatrist / pneumonia / psychotherapy / psychotic


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 after 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


Silent W
W is not pronounced with these three pronouns:
Who / whose / whom