1. Rules of Pronouncing
SILENT LETTER
A.D.Patel Institute of Technology
Prepared By : Aarsh Dhokai (180010116012)
Guided By : Bhavika Madam
Subject : English (3110002)
2. What is a silent letter ?
A silent letter is the letter in words that are not pronounced but make a huge difference to the
meaning and pronunciation of the whole word.
There are some rules that explain which letters are supposed to be silent, before and after certain
letters.
3. Silent (B)
Rule 1: The letter B is usually not pronounced after M at the end of a word. Ex. Comb, bomb,
thumb, climb, tomb, crumb, lamb.
Rule 2: B is usually not pronounced before the letter T. Ex. Doubt, doubtful, subtle, debt.
4. Silent (C)
Rule 1: The letter C is usually not pronounced in the combination of SC. Ex : Scissors, ascent,
fascinate, muscle.
Rule 2: C is usually mute before the letters K and Q. Ex. Lock, block, puck, acknowledge, Aqua,
Acquit, Acquiesce.
5. Silent (D)
Rule 1: The letter D is silent when it appears before the letters N and G.
Example : Wednesday, cadge, Pledge, grudge.
Rule 2: D is not pronounced in the following Common words: Wednesday, handsome,
handkerchief, sandwich.
6. Silent (E)
Rule 1: If the letter E comes at the ends of words, it is generally not pronounced. Ex. Fore, table,
before, write, give, hide.
Rule 2: If E occurs before the letter D in the second and third form of the verbs, E may sometimes
not to be pronounced. Ex. Bored, fixed, smuggled, begged.
7. Silent (G)
Rule 1: The G letter is not pronounced when it comes before N in a word like Design, foreign,
sign, gnash, align. Exceptions: Magnet, igneous, cognitive, signature.
8. Silent (GH)
Rule 1: GH is not pronounced when it comes after a vowel in a word. Ex. High, light, thought,
through alight.
Rules 2: Exceptions: GH is pronounced separately in compound words (As you can see in the
following words that exceptions are generally compound words). Doghouse, bighead, foghorn.
Rule 3: Except examples from rule 1, GH is sometimes pronounced like F, consider the words
below. • Draught, cough, laugh, tough.
9. Silent (H)
Rule 1: The letter H is usually silent when it appears after W. • Why, what, when, weather, where.
Rule 2: Sometimes the letter H is not silent after W, consider the words below. • Whose,
whosoever, who, whoever, whole.
Rule 3: H is mute at the beginning of many words (remember to use the article “an” with
unvoiced H). • Hour, honest, honor, heir.
Rule 4: Exceptions: Most of the words beginning with H are not silent (remember to use the
article “a” with voiced H) • History, Historical, Hair, Happy.
10. Silent (K)
Rule: The letter K is always silent when it precedes the letter N in a word. Ex. Know, knock, knife,
knight, knowledge.
11. Silent (L)
Rule: The letter L is usually not pronounced after the vowels: A, O and U. Ex. Calf, half, palm,
would, should, could, folk, yolk.
12. Silent (N)
Rule: The letter N is not pronounced when it comes after M at the end of a word. Ex.Column,
damn, solemn, autumn.
13. Silent (P)
Rule: The letter P is not pronounced at the he beginning of many words using the combinations
PS, PT and PN. Psalm, psephology, pterodactyl, pneumonia, pneumatic.
14. Silent (PH)
Rule: PH is sometimes pronounced like F.
Ex. Sophia, paragraph, elephant, telephone.
15. Silent (S)
Rule: The letter S is not pronounced before L in the following words: •
Aisle, island, isle, islet.
16. Silent (T)
Rule: The letter T is not pronounced in the following common English words:
Ex. Castle, Christmas, fasten, listen, often, beret, Chevrolet, whistle, thistle, bustle, hasten, soften,
rapport, gourmet, ballet.
17. Silent (U)
Rule: The letter U is not pronounced when it comes after G and before a vowel in a word.
Ex. Guide, guest, guard, guess, guano.
18. Silent (W)
Rule 1: The letter W is not pronounced at the beginning of a word when it is before the letter R.
Ex. Write, wrest, wrong, wrack, wrap.
Rule 2: W is silent in the following words:
Ex. Who, whose, whole, whom, whole, whoever, answer, sword, two.
