Sunny Academy
Learn common spelling-to-sound patterns, compare tricky words and check what you hear. Pronunciation varies by accent; examples identify US forms where needed.
Silent letters · kn-
Difficulty: A1
In many inherited English words beginning KN, K is silent.
Examples: know · knife · knee · knock
Other pronunciations and limits: The K is pronounced in some names and borrowings; check the word.
Example sentence: I know where the knife is.
Silent letters · wr-
Difficulty: A1
In common words beginning WR, W is silent and the word starts with /r/.
Examples: write · wrong · wrist · wrap
Other pronunciations and limits: Compare with words where W is pronounced, such as write vs. white.
Example sentence: Write the wrong word on your wrist.
Silent letters · -mb
Difficulty: A2
B is silent in many common words ending in MB. It is not silent in every word containing those letters.
Examples: lamb · thumb · climb · comb
Other pronunciations and limits: number: B is pronounced.
Example sentence: The lamb climbed with a crumb.
Silent letters · selected l + consonant groups
Difficulty: A2
L is silent in some frequent words, but pronounced in many similar-looking words. Learn these word by word.
Examples: walk · talk · calm · half
Other pronunciations and limits: milk · help: L is pronounced.
Example sentence: We walk half a mile after lunch.
Silent letters · gh
Difficulty: A2
GH has several outcomes depending on the word: it can be silent, sound /f/, or sound /ɡ/ in some positions.
Examples: night · light · right · daughter
Other pronunciations and limits: laugh /f/ · enough /f/ · ghost /ɡ/
Example sentence: The light was bright, but the ghost laughed.
