Silent Letters

Intermediate · Tricky Words

English is full of letters you write but do not say. These "silent letters" are a legacy of the language's history, and they trap learners who pronounce every letter. Knowing the common patterns saves you from many embarrassing mispronunciations.

For example, the "b" in "climb", the "k" in "know", the "l" in "walk", and the "t" in "listen" are all silent.

Common silent-letter patterns

silent b (climb) · silent k (know) · silent l (walk) · silent t (listen) · silent w (write) · silent h (hour)

Rules & examples

1. Silent B — often after M or before T.

   You do not say the b at all.

   • climb, thumb, lamb, doubt, comb
2. Silent K and W at the start of words.

   kn- and wr- drop the first letter.

   • know, knee, knife
   • write, wrong, wrist
3. Silent L before certain consonants.

   The l vanishes in these common words.

   • walk, talk, half, calm, could, would
4. Silent T, H and others.

   Various words hide a letter.

   • listen, castle, often (t)
   • hour, honest, ghost (h)

Tips to remember

• When you meet a new word, check the pronunciation; do not assume every letter is spoken.
• Group silent-letter words by pattern (kn-, wr-, -mb, -alk) to remember them.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Pronouncing the "k" in "know" or the "b" in "comb". → ✓ know = "no"; comb = "kohm". — These letters are completely silent.