Silent letters, as the name suggests, are letters within a word that are not pronounced when the word is spoken aloud. These letters occupy their positions quietly and influence the pronunciation and spelling of the word in subtle ways. Although they may seem unimportant, their impact on the phonetic landscape of the word is significant. In this article, we’ll learn some of the most common words with silent letters in the English language.
List of Words with Silent Letters
- Bomb
- Calf
- Change
- Climb
- Crumb
- Debt
- Echo
- Fascinate
- Handsome
- Honest
- Knife
- Lamb
- Muscle
- Salmon
- Sandwich
- Scene
- Thumb
- Womb
Words with Silent Letters in English
Now, we will go over each word from the list above with the correct pronunciation and pictures.
Bomb: The silent letter is “b.” Pronounced as “bahm.”
Calf: The silent letter is “l.” Pronounced as “kæf.”
Change: The silent letter is “e.” Pronounced as “cheynj.”
Climb: The silent letter is “b.” Pronounced as “klahym.”
Crumb: The silent letter is “b.” Pronounced as “kruhm.”
Debt: The silent letter is “b.” Pronounced as “det.”
Echo: The silent letter is “h.” Pronounced as “ek-oh.”
Fascinate: The silent letter is “c.” Pronounced as “fass-uh-neyt.”
Handsome: The silent letter is “d.” Pronounced as “han-suhm.”
Honest: The silent letter is “h.” Pronounced as “on-ist.”
Knife: The silent letter is “k.” Pronounced as “nahyf.”
Lamb: The silent letter is “b.” Pronounced as “lam.”
Muscle: The silent letter is “c.” Pronounced as “muh-suhl.”
Salmon: The silent letter is “l.” Pronounced as “sam-uhn.”
Sandwich: The silent letter is “d.” Pronounced as “san-wich.”
Scene: The silent letter is “c.” Pronounced as “seen.”
Thumb: The silent letter is “b.” Pronounced as “thuhm.”
Womb: The silent letter is “b.” Pronounced as “woom.”
FAQs About Words with Silent Letters
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about silent letters in English.
What words have silent letters?
Words with silent letters are those where certain letters are not pronounced when speaking the word aloud. Some examples include Bomb, Calf, Change, Climb, Crumb, Debt, Echo, Fascinate, Handsome, Honest, Knife, Lamb, Muscle, Salmon, Sandwich, Scene, Thumb, and Womb.
What are 10 words with the silent letter L?
Words with the silent letter L: half, calf, talk, walk, chalk, palm, almond, could, should, and yolk.
What word has a silent Z?
Rendezvous is a word borrowed from French, so the “z” is silent. You pronounce it as ron-day-voo.
Is the L silent in salmon?
Yes, the “L” in “salmon” is silent. It is pronounced as “sam-uhn.”
What are 10 words with the silent letter B?
Words with the silent letter B: bomb, comb, climb, crumb, dumb, debt, doubt, thumb, womb, and subtle.
Is the R in February silent?
Some people pronounce the first “r” of February and some do not. Both ways are correct, but most people prefer to drop the first “r”.
What words have a silent P?
Words with the silent letter P: psychology, pseudo, and receipt.
More English Vocabulary
Here are more English vocabulary resources.
- 20 Most Common Adjectives that Start with B
- Animals that Start with I | Names, Pictures, Fun Facts
- List of Animals that Start with U with Pictures and Fun Facts
- List of Animals that Start with E with Pictures
- Most Common 4 Letter Words in English
- 19 Laboratory Equipment Names in English with Pictures
- Common Words that Start with A in English with Images
Word with Silent Letter: Join the Conversation
Can you think of another English word that has a silent letter? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!
