Some English words have silent letters. You write them, but you do not say them. Long ago, many of these letters were spoken.
Common silent letters include k before n (knee, knock, know), w before r (write, wrist, wrong), b after m (lamb, thumb, climb), and t in words like castle, listen and whistle.
To learn them, say the word in a funny way that sounds the silent letter (k-nock), then say it normally.
Worked example
Which letter is silent in “thumb”?
- Say it: you hear th-u-m.
- The b at the end is written but not said.
Answer:b
Key words
- silent letter
- a letter that is written but not spoken
- spelling strategy
- a trick that helps you remember
- syllable
- a beat in a word
Practise this
New questions every time.
Common Core-referenced: L.3.2f