Silent Letters
In short: Many silent letters, like the k in “knight,” were once pronounced. The sounds disappeared over time, but the spelling stayed the same.
Why is the "k" silent in words like knight and knee? The answer lies in history! Hundreds of years ago, people actually pronounced the "k" in Old English. But as the language changed, those sounds disappeared—yet the spelling stayed the same! This is why English has so many silent letters, like the "b" in comb, the "w" in wrist, and the "gh" in through. Learning them is tricky, but now you know why they exist!
How to use it
A few patterns are worth learning: kn at the start (know, knife), wr at the start (write, wrong), mb at the end (climb, thumb) and gh in the middle (night, daughter). Some silent letters were never spoken at all: scholars added the b in “debt” to make it look like the Latin word. When in doubt, check a dictionary’s audio.
Examples
- I know how to tie that knot. (the k is silent in know and knot)
- I wrapped the gift and wrote a card. (the w is silent in wrapped and wrote)
- He hurt his thumb on the climb. (the b is silent in thumb and climb)
A common mistake
Don’t pronounce every letter you see. “Knife” sounds like nife, and “thumb” sounds like thum.
Say it out loud
Tabbi Daily gives you one short lesson like this every day. Listen, record yourself and hear how you sound. Free, no account needed.
Source: Merriam-Webster