SILENT LETTERS III: N -Z
B, K, and W are familiar silent letters, but every letter of the alphabet can be silent. Some examples are listed below. Pronunciations vary.
N: Common at the ends of words and after M: autumn, column, hymn, solemn
O: Jeopardy, Leopard, People,
P: Pneumonia, Psalm, Psychology, Corps, Coup, Receipt
Q: Very rarely silent: Lacquer
R: Forecastle (fowk-sl), February (debatable)
S: Island, Debris, Bourgeois
T: Ballet, Castle, Listen, Whistle, Asthma
U: Build, Guard, Guess, Laugh, League
V: Somebody lied - No English word has a silent V.
W: Wrap, Wrench, Write, Wrong, Answer, Two, Sword, Who
X: Faux, (Sounds like Z in Xerox, Xenon)
Y: Beyond (debatable)
Z: Adopted words from French: Chez, Rendezvous, Laissez-faire
Showing posts with label Silent letters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Silent letters. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
SILENT LETTERS II: A - M
B, K, and W are familiar silent letters, but every letter of the alphabet can be silent. Some examples are listed below. Pronunciations vary.
A: bread, aisle
B: (very common at the end of words) comb, lamb, etc., but less so as an interior letter: debt, doubt, subtle
C: indict, acquire - (often cedes to S) science, scissors
D: Weakening in strength: Wednesday, handkerchief, handsome
E: (double E words) green, seed , etc. and words ending in E - love, hate, imagine, etc.
F: fifth
G: (words beginning with gn) gnarl, gnat, etc., sign, phlegm, high, though, tough
H: heir, honest, honor, rhyme, ghost
I: business, suit, plaid
J: (only one word) marijuana
K: (very common in words beginning kn) knife, know, knuckle, etc.
L: colonel (the most indecent) , half, walk, should, could, calm, etc.
M: mnemonic
B, K, and W are familiar silent letters, but every letter of the alphabet can be silent. Some examples are listed below. Pronunciations vary.
A: bread, aisle
B: (very common at the end of words) comb, lamb, etc., but less so as an interior letter: debt, doubt, subtle
C: indict, acquire - (often cedes to S) science, scissors
D: Weakening in strength: Wednesday, handkerchief, handsome
E: (double E words) green, seed , etc. and words ending in E - love, hate, imagine, etc.
F: fifth
G: (words beginning with gn) gnarl, gnat, etc., sign, phlegm, high, though, tough
H: heir, honest, honor, rhyme, ghost
I: business, suit, plaid
J: (only one word) marijuana
K: (very common in words beginning kn) knife, know, knuckle, etc.
L: colonel (the most indecent) , half, walk, should, could, calm, etc.
M: mnemonic
Sunday, April 19, 2020
SILENT LETTERS I
NPR Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle
March 29, 2020
Will Shortz
Each word, name, and phrase below is followed by a letter. Re-arrange the letters - plus the designated letter - to form a word in which the designated letter is silent. For example, GRIN + W would be WRING.
1. MOW + B
2. TOGS + H
3. FINE + K
4. TENS + C
5. HANS + G
6. BRIDE + S
7. RE-TINT + W.
8. NO SHAME + D
Answers:
1. WOMB
2. GHOST
3. KNIFE
4. SCENT
5. GNASH
6. DEBRIS
7.WRITTEN
8. HANDSOME
NPR Weekend Edition Sunday Puzzle
March 29, 2020
Will Shortz
Each word, name, and phrase below is followed by a letter. Re-arrange the letters - plus the designated letter - to form a word in which the designated letter is silent. For example, GRIN + W would be WRING.
1. MOW + B
2. TOGS + H
3. FINE + K
4. TENS + C
5. HANS + G
6. BRIDE + S
7. RE-TINT + W.
8. NO SHAME + D
Answers:
1. WOMB
2. GHOST
3. KNIFE
4. SCENT
5. GNASH
6. DEBRIS
7.WRITTEN
8. HANDSOME
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