Pronunciation - Silent Letters

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By Kenneth Beare, About.com

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Pronunciation - Speaking
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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