Itisbecausethepronunciationofcertainwordshaschangedoverthelastfew

hundredyearswhereasthespellinghasremainedthesame.

Itissimplyamatteroflearningwhichlettersaresilentincertaincombinationsof
letters.Herearesomeofthemostcommon.Checktoseehowmanyyouknow
andhowmanyyoustillneedtolearn.

Inthefollowingexamples,allsilentlettersaregiveninbrackets.They
arenormallynotpronounced.ListencarefullytonativeEnglishspeakers'
pronunciationofthesewords.

Clickheretolistentothesewords

b:clim(b),com(b),plum(b)er,thum(b)

Theplum(b)er'sthum(b)gotcau(gh)tinhiscom(b)asheclim(b)edthe
ladder.

d:han(d)kerchief,san(d)wich,We(d)nesday

Ihavesan(d)wicheseveryWe(d)nesdayandir(o)nmywais(t)coatsin
theev(e)ning.

e:ev(e)ry,ev(e)ning,diff(e)rent,sev(e)ral,int(e)resting,
veg(e)table,lit(e)rature,temp(e)rature,p(e)rhaps

Hedescribedsev(e)raldiff(e)rentveg(e)tablesonhisplate.
Ididn'tfindthatveryint(e)resting,Itcertainlywasn'tlit(e)rature.
P(e)rhapshisbodytemp(e)raturewastoohi(gh).

Clickheretolistentothesewords

g:si(g)n,forei(g)n,champa(g)ne

Therewasnosi(g)noftheFrenchchampa(g)ne.

gh:hi(gh),ri(gh)t,ni(gh)t,mi(gh)t,si(gh)tbrou(gh)t,
thou(gh)t,cau(gh)t,ou(gh)t,dau(gh)terwei(gh),
nei(gh)bour,strai(gh)t

Thehi(gh)andmi(gh)tywerenotinsi(gh)tthatnight.
Icau(gh)tsomesa(l)monandbrou(gh)tthemstrai(gh)ttomy
dau(gh)ter.
Mynei(gh)bouraskedmehowmuchIwei(gh)ed.

h:(h)onest,(h)our,(h)onour,(h)eir

"I'llbebackinan(h)our,"saidthe(h)eiress.Butitwasnotan
(h)onestoran(h)onourableans(w)er.

k:(k)nife,(k)now,(k)nock,(k)not,(k)nee,(k)nuckle,
(k)nickers

Didyouknowshehasa(k)nifeinher(k)nickerswhichcould
damageyour(k)nucklesoryour(k)nees?

l:sa(l)mon,ca(l)m,wou(l)d,cou(l)d,shou(l)d,wa(l)k,
ta(l)k,ha(l)f

Hecou(l)dwa(l)kforha(l)famileandta(l)kca(l)mlyabout
sa(l)monellapoisoningforan(h)ourandahalf.

n:autum(n),dam(n),hym(n),gover(n)ment

He(w)roteadam(n)ingreportaboutthegover(n)ment's
handlingofthesa(l)monellacrisis.
 Clickheretolistentothesewords

p:cu(p)board,(p)sychiatry/(p)sychology,
(p)sychotherapy,(p)neumonia/(p)neumatic

The(p)sychiatristrecommended(p)sychotherapy."There'sno
med(i)cineinyourcu(p)boardwillhelpyou,"shesaid."Save
thatfor(p)neumonia."

s:i(s)land,i(s)les

Irelandisani(s)and.TheBritishI(s)lesarenotpartofIreland.

t:lis(t)en,fas(t)en,of(t)en,whis(t)le,cas(t)le,
Chris(t)mas

Fas(t)enyousea(t)belts.

Howof(t)endoIhavetosaythat?Icanseeyou'renot
lis(t)eningwhenyou'rewhis(t)ling.

w:ans(w)er,(w)rite,(w)rong,(w)ring,(w)rinkle,(w)rist,
(w)retched,(w)restler

Ifeel(w)retched,"saidthe(w)restler.

"My(w)ristisall(w)rinkled.Ican't(w)riteandwhowou(l)d
wanttowrest(l)ewithmenow?"

Ifyouwanttoaskaboutotherwordswithsilentletterslookat
the MessageBoardintheYou,MeandUspartofourwebsite.