Silent letters occur in spelling but are not pronounced (and are therefore not cued). Words contiaing silent letters can be useful examples for demonstrating the sometimes inconsistent relationship between English spelling and pronunciation. Such words can also be valuable in introductory lessons to remind students to think beyond spelling when cueing words.

Examples

b

bomb, bombing, climb, comb, crumb, debt, doubt, dumb, lamb, lamb, limb, numb, plumber, subtle, thumb, tomb

c

indict, muscle, science, scissors

ch

yacht

d

handkerchief

g

campaign, champagne, feign, foreign, gnash, gnaw, reign, resign, sign

gh

daughter, fight, light, might, right, sight, though, thought, through, weigh

h

exhaust, honest, ghost, heir, herb, honest, honor, hour, rhythm, rhyme,

i

business, cushion, fashion

k

knead, knee, kneel, knew, knife, knight, knock, knot, know, knowledge

l

calf, salmon, should, talk, walk, would, yolk

m

mnemonic

n

autumn, column, condemn, damn, solumn,

p

corps, cupboard, psalm, pterodactyl, psychiatry, psychology, receipt

s

apropos, bourgeois, chablis, corps, debris, Illinois, island, isle, rendez-vous

t

ballet, buffet, castle, Christmas, nestle, rustle, thistle

w

answer, sword, two, who, whose, whole, wreath, wrench, wrestle, wriggle, wrist, write, wrong

x

faux

z

rendez-vous