What Words Contain Silent Letters in English? A Guide from A to Z

Do you know what the most common silent letters in English are? There goes one! (The ‘K’ is silent before ‘N’—think “know” or “knee”). While this is a well-known case, silent letters in English aren’t limited to just a few tricky combinations. In fact, every letter in the alphabet can be silent in certain contexts! In this guide, we’ll explore words with silent letters in English from A to Z, helping you better understand the quirks and patterns of the language.

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When Is Letter A Silent in English?

The letter A often remains silent in a variety of English words. One of the most common patterns occurs with the ‘-ea’ combination, where the A is silent, leaving the E to take center stage. Words like “bread,” “dread,” “head,” “thread,” and “spread” all fall into this category.

Additionally, A goes quiet in many adverbs that end in ‘-ically,’ especially when the root word already has an ‘IC’ sound. For example, in words like “basically, “practically”, and “dramatically”, the letter A is silent.

Examples of silent A:

• bread
• dread
• head
• thread
• spread
• basically
• practically
• dramatically

When Is Letter B Silent in English?

The letter B likes to silently follow the letter M at the end of many words. This silent pattern is common in English, where the B adds nothing to the sound but remains in the spelling. Words like “climb,” “crumb,” “thumb,” and “bomb” all showcase this silent B. Even though the B is written, the M carries the sound.

Other examples of silent B appear in words like “debt,” where the B remains quiet despite its prominent position in the middle of the word.

Examples of silent B:

• climb
• crumb
• thumb
• bomb
• debt

When Is Letter C Silent in English?

When it comes to the letter C, it seems to remain silent when it follows the letter S. There are many words where this pattern occurs, such as “science,” “scissors,” and “scene.” In these cases, the C follows the S but is not pronounced.

Additionally, there are some standalone cases where C is silent, often tied to words borrowed from other languages. For instance, in “czar,” “acquire,” and “indict,” the C doesn’t add any sound.

Examples of silent C:

• science
• scissors
• scene
• czar
• acquire
• indict
• yacht

When Is Letter D Silent in English?

The letter D is silent in some words where it is paired with the letter G, particularly in the middle or end of words. In words like “bridge,” “ridge,” and “hedge,” the D is silent, leaving the G to produce the final sound.

Additionally, the D is sometimes silent in words like “handkerchief,” where the D isn’t pronounced even though it’s written.

Examples of silent D:

• bridge
• ridge
• hedge
• handkerchief

When Is Letter E Silent in English?

The letter E is often silent, especially in certain word endings. A prime example is the word “vegetable,” where the E is present but not pronounced. Most commonly, E remains silent when it appears in the final position of words, helping to elongate vowels before it. Words like “due,” “true,” “crime,” “grace,” and “goose” all demonstrate this silent E phenomenon.

Examples:

• vegetable
• due
• true
• crime
• grace
• goose

When Is Letter F Silent in English?

The letter F doesn’t often stay silent in English, but one notable exception is the word “fifth.” Depending on pronunciation, some people drop the second F, saying “fith” instead of fully pronouncing both F’s. This is one of the rare instances of a silent F in the English language.

Examples of silent F:

• fifth (especially in rapid pronunciation)

When Is Letter G Silent in English?

The letter G likes to remain silent when paired with N at the beginning or end of many words. Words like “gnaw” and “sign” are common examples where the G does no work. Additionally, G tends to go quiet when paired with H in words like “sigh.”

Examples of silent G:

• gnaw
• gnome
• sign
• align
• reign
• sigh
• light
• though

When Is Letter H Silent in English?

The letter H tends to keep quiet in several situations. At the start of words, it goes silent in cases like “hour” and “honor.” It’s also quiet when it follows the letter C in words such as “chaos” and “chorus.” Finally, H is silent after W in words like “whistle.”

Examples of silent H:

• hour
• honor
• chaos
• chorus
• where
• whistle

When Is Letter I Silent in English?

Compared to other vowels, the letter I is rarely silent in English. However, it does occasionally stay quiet in words like “business”.

Examples of silent I:

• business
• suit
• fruit

When Is Letter J Silent in English?

The letter J is almost always pronounced in English. One rare exception is in the word “marijuana,” where the J remains silent. Other than this, the J tends to enjoy being heard.

Examples of silent J:

• marijuana

When Is Letter L Silent in English?

The letter L often likes to stay silent when it appears before certain consonants, particularly in words where it follows a vowel and comes before an F, K, or M sound. This is true for words like “calf” and “talk.” Another curious example is the word “salmon,” where the L is also silent.

Examples of silent L:

• should
• could
• calf
• walk
• salmon
• folk

When Is Letter M Silent in English?

The letter M is rarely silent, but it does take a backseat in words that begin with “mn,” such as “mnemonic.” Derived from Greek roots, this is one of the few cases where M chooses to stay silent in the English language.

Examples of silent M:

• mnemonic
• mnemonics

When Is Letter N Silent in English?

N is a bit of a shy letter when it comes after M, often going silent in words like “autumn” and “solemn.” It also remains quiet in some more formal or archaic terms like “condemn.”

Examples of silent N:

• autumn
• column
• condemn
• hymn
• solemn

When Is Letter O Silent in English?

The letter O is sometimes silent when it is combined with other vowels or when followed by tough consonants. For example, in words like “people” and “jeopardy,” the O remains unspoken. Similarly, it keeps quiet in words ending with “ough”.

Examples of silent O:

• people
• leopard
• jeopardy
• rough
• tough
• enough

When Is Letter P Silent in English?

P tends to go silent when paired with the letter S, particularly in scientific or technical words. Examples include “psalm” and “psyche.” Additionally, P is silent in many medical terms with the prefixes “pneumo-” or “pneuma-,” such as “pneumonia.”

Examples of silent P:

• psychology
• psalm
• pneumonia
• pterodactyl
• raspberry
• receipt

When Is Letter Q Silent in English?

The letter Q generally likes to make its presence known, but there are rare cases in which it remains silent. A notable example is the word “lacquer,” (a liquid made of shellac dissolved in alcohol)  where the Q quietly stays in the background without contributing to the word’s pronunciation.

Examples of silent Q:

• lacquer
• plaque

When Is Letter R Silent in English?

Silent R depends heavily on whether a speaker uses a rhotic or non-rhotic accent. In non-rhotic dialects, such as certain Boston or British accents, the R often goes silent when it follows a vowel. For example, words like “car” or “sister” might sound like “cah” or “sistah.” However, this phenomenon varies by accent and region.

Examples of silent R:

• (in some pronunciations)
• car (non-rhotic accent)
• sister (non-rhotic accent)

When Is Letter S Silent in English?

Silent S appears in several words, often where you least expect it. It tends to remain quiet in words like “island” and “aisle,” both of which feature an S that adds nothing to the pronunciation. Additionally, in some borrowed words like “debris” and “apropos,” the S stays silent.

Examples of silent S:

• island
• aisle
• design
• debris
• bourgeois

When Is Letter T Silent in English?

The letter T enjoys being silent in a variety of contexts. It often stays quiet when paired with the letter L, as in words like “whistle” and “castle.” Silent T also occurs frequently in French loanwords, where it makes no sound in words like “ballet” or “gourmet.” Lastly, it goes silent in a number of everyday English words like “soften” and “listen.”

Examples of silent T:

• whistle
• castle
• asthma
• ballet
• listen
• fasten

When Is Letter U Silent in English?

The letter U often stays silent when it follows G in words like “guess” and “guilt.” You can also spot silent a U after letter I in words like “build.”

Examples of silent U:

• guess
• guilt
• guitar
• build
• biscuit

When Is Letter V Silent in English?

Interestingly, V seems to be the only letter in English that never goes silent. Despite searching hard for examples, we couldn’t find any words with a silent V. However, poetic contractions like “ne’er” or “e’er” simply drop the letter altogether.

Examples of silent V:

• ne’er (from “never”)
• e’er (from “ever”)

When Is Letter W Silent in English?

The letter W often stays silent when it appears before R. This is common in words like “wrist” and “write.” W is also silent after letter S in words like “answer” and “sword.”

Examples of silent W:

• wrist
• write
• answer
• sword
• two

When Is Letter X Silent in English?

The letter X is silent in a few French loanwords, such as “faux” and “faux pas.” It remains unspoken in words like “roux”.

Examples of silent X:

• faux
• faux pas
• roux

When Is Letter Y Silent in English?

Silent Y is tricky and depends on pronunciation. For instance, in some pronunciations of “beyond,” the Y might not be clearly pronounced.

Examples of silent Y:

• beyond (in some pronunciations)

When Is Letter Z Silent in English?

The letter Z goes silent in certain French loanwords, especially in terms like “rendezvous”, where it doesn’t get pronounced.

Examples of silent Z:

• rendezvouz
• laissez-fairez

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Silent letters in English can be tricky, but understanding when and where they occur can greatly improve your pronunciation and confidence. If you’re looking to master English, whether for travel, business, or personal growth, Language Trainers offers personalized courses to suit your needs. Our lessons are tailored to your schedule, learning style, and goals—whether you prefer online English classes or in-person English lessons in Miami, New York and other cities. Get started on your journey to fluency with Language Trainers today!