Silent Letters

• Some English words have letters that are written but not spoken — these are called silent letters.
• Common silent letters in Class 4 words: silent k (knife), silent w (write), silent b (comb), and silent t (listen).
• Knowing silent letters helps you spell tricky words correctly.

Level 1 — Silent k (before n)

knife, knee, know, knock, knot, knight — the k is silent before n.

Level 2 — Silent w (before r)

write, wrist, wrong, wrap, wreck — the w is silent before r.

Level 3 — Silent b and t

• Silent b (often after m): lamb, comb, thumb, climb.
• Silent t (often before -en or -le): listen, castle, whistle, often.

NCERT anchor: Marigold 4 (CBSE English reader) — phonics and pronunciation practice.

Which letter is silent in 'knee'?

Step 1 — Say the word aloud: /nee/.
Step 2 — The letter 'k' at the start is not pronounced.
Answer: k is silent in 'knee'.

Spell the word for a small round bread crumb-like fallen piece from bread.

Step 1 — The word is 'crumb'.
Step 2 — It ends in -mb, where 'b' is silent.
Answer: crumb (silent b)

• Which letter is silent in 'write'?
• Name two words with a silent 'b'.
• Which letter is silent in 'listen'?
• Stretch: List three more words that begin with silent 'kn' or silent 'wr'.

Revision tip: Group silent-letter words by their pattern (kn-, wr-, -mb, -sten) and practise reading them aloud.

Open the Practice tab for graded questions on Silent Letters.