The English language is a difficult language to learn. Most of the time, words in their written form can be tricky. Unlike some languages where you write what you hear, English is quite different.

It’s because the language came from a rich history. Not only it has absorbed a lot of words from foreign languages like French, Latin, and Norse, but also kept on evolving as the centuries pass. Thanks to this development, we are left with hundreds of words that have some silent letters in them

In this post, we dive into some common words with silent letters and how to say them correctly.

The Silent K

When the letter ‘K’ precedes the letter ‘n’ at the beginning of a word, it falls silent.

Examples:

Know

Meaning: be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information:

Knowledge

Meaning: facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject

Knife

Meaning: an instrument composed of a blade fixed into a handle, used for cutting, or as a weapon.

Knob

Meaning: a rounded lump or ball, especially at the end or on the surface of something.

Knack

Meaning: an acquired or natural skill at performing a task.

  The Silent P

When the letter “P” is preceded by an ‘s’, it falls silent.

Psychology

Meaning: the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context.

Psyche

Meaning: the human soul, mind, or spirit.

Psychiatry

Meaning: the branch of medicine concerned with the study, diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness.

Pseudo

Meaning: not genuine; spurious or sham.

Pneumonia

Meaning: lung inflammation caused by a bacterial or viral infection, in which the air sacs fill with pus and may become solid. Inflammation may affect both lungs

The Silent ‘C’

It’s often silent when it follows ‘s’.

Examples:

Muscle

Meaning: a band or bundle of fibrous tissue in a human or animal body that has the ability to contract, producing movement in or maintaining the position of parts of the body.

Miscellaneous

Meaning: (of items or people gathered or considered together) of various types or from different sources.

Ascend

Meaning: go up or climb

Fascinate

Meaning: draw irresistibly the attention and interest of (someone):

Obscene

Meaning: of the portrayal or description of sexual matters) offensive or disgusting by accepted standards of morality and decency.

The Silent ‘G’

Most of the words with a silent g sound came from foreign origin.

Examples:

Gnome

Meaning: a legendary dwarfish creature supposed to guard the earth’s treasures underground.

Benign

Meaning: (of a disease) not harmful in effect

Design

Meaning: a plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of a building, garment, or another object before it is built or made

Sign

Meaning: an object, quality, or event whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else

Malign

Meaning: speak about (someone) in a spitefully critical manner

The Silent “B”

The silent b is usually silent if it follows the ‘m’ sound.

Examples:

Climb

Meaning: go or come up (a slope, incline, or staircase), especially by using the feet and sometimes the hands; ascend.

Comb

Meaning: a strip of plastic, metal, or wood with a row of narrow teeth, used for untangling or arranging the hair.

Crumb

Meaning: a small fragment of bread, cake, or cracker.

Thumb

Meaning: the short, thick first digit of the human hand, set lower and apart from the other four and opposable to them.

Tomb

Meaning: a large vault, typically an underground one, for burying the dead.

The Silent “N”

The silent ‘n’ is usually silent if it follows the ‘m’ sound.

Hymn

Meaning: a religious song or poem of praise to God or a god.

Solemn

Meaning: formal and dignified

Condemn

Meaning: express complete disapproval of, typically in public; censure.

Column

Meaning: an upright pillar, typically cylindrical and made of stone or concrete, supporting an entablature, arch, or other structure or standing alone as a monument.

Damnation

Meaning: (in Christian belief) condemnation to eternal punishment in hell.

The Silent T

The silent ‘t’ is usually silent if it follows the ‘s’ sound.

Hustle

Meaning: busy movement and activity

Nestle

Meaning: settle or lie comfortably within or against something

Pestle

Meaning: a heavy tool with a rounded end, used for crushing and grinding substances such as spices or drugs, typically in a mortar.

Rustle

Meaning:  make a soft, muffled crackling sound like that caused by the movement of dry leaves or paper

Listen

Meaning: give one’s attention to a sound