Here is a list of common letter combinations with silent letters.

This list contains most of the silent letters that give English as a second language students difficulties. Silent B B is not pronounced when following M at the end of a word. climb crumb dumb comb Silent C C is not pronounced in the ending "scle" muscle Silent D D is not pronounced in the following common words: handkerchief Wednesday Silent E E is not pronounced at the end of words and usually makes the vowel long. hope drive gave write site Silent G G is not often not pronounced when followed by an N champagne foreign

sign feign Silent GH GH is not pronounced before T and at the end of many words thought through daughter light might right fight weigh Silent H H is not pronounced when following W. Some speakers whisper the H before the W. what when where whether why Silent H H is not pronounced at the beginning of many words. Use the article "an" with unvoiced H. Here are some of the most common: hour honest honor heir herb Pronounced H H is pronounced at the beginning of these common words. Use the article "a" with voiced H. hill history height

happy hangover Silent K K is not pronounced when followed by N at the beginning of a word. knife knee know knock knowledge Silent L

island isle Silent T T is not pronounced in these common words: castle Christmas fasten listen often whistle thistle Silent U

L is often not pronounced before L, D, F, M, K. calm half salmon talk balk would should Silent N N is not pronounced following M at the end of a word. autumn hymn Silent P P is not pronounced at the beginning of many words using the suffix "psych" and "pneu". psychiatrist pneumonia psychotherapy psychotic Silent S S is not pronounced before L in the following words: W is not pronounced at the beginning of a word followed by an R. wrap write wrong Silent W W is not pronounced with these three pronouns: who whose whom The following words are all very common, yet they often present pronunciation difficulties. Hopefully, these tips will make it a little easier to say each word more clearly. 1. Clothes the th sound followed by an s is very difficult even for native speakers. U is not pronounced before after G and before a vowel. guess guidance guitar guest Silent W

Pronounce this word just like the word close as in: Please close the door. Say: I wear clothes (close) when I close the door. 2. Months again the th sound followed by an s is too difficult. Pronounce this word without the th sound. Just say muns. Say: I will stay for one month (munth), but he will stay for six months (muns). 3. Answer the w is not pronounced. Say: He gave the answer (anser) without the w. 4. An many students pronounce this word like on or un. All you have to do is say it just like the letter n. Say: She ate an (n) apple. 5. Island the s is not pronounced. Say: He was stuck on the island (iland) without his s. 6. Once the beginning sound is like a w; similar to the word won with an s sound at the end, not like the beginning sound of the word on. Say: Once (wons) I won one hundred dollars. 7. Women the o is pronounced much differently than the o sound in the singular form, woman. The o is pronounced i as in the word in. The e is also pronounced like an i. Say: I see five tall women (wimin) next to one short woman. 8. Debt the b is not pronounced. This word rhymes with bet. Say: I am in debt (det) because I like to bet. 9. Doubt this word also has a silent b which is replaced with a w sound as in the word out. Say: I doubt (dowt) that he went out. 10. Receipt the ceipt part of the word is pronounced just like the word seat. Say: He left his receipt (re-seat) under his seat.