Silent letters in English: kn, wr, mb and more
Short answer: Some English words contain letters that you write but do not say. The k in knee, the w in write and the b in lamb are silent. Learn the common patterns: kn at the start (know, knife), wr at the start (write, wrong), mb at the end (lamb, thumb, climb). A few common words are irregular: said, was and one.
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At a glance
| Pattern | Silent letter | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| kn- | k | know /noʊ/, knee /ni/, knife /naɪf/ |
| wr- | w | write /raɪt/, wrong /rɔŋ/, wrist /rɪst/ |
| -mb | b | lamb /læm/, thumb /θʌm/, climb /klaɪm/ |
| -lk | l | walk /wɔk/, talk /tɔk/ |
| -gh- | gh | night /naɪt/, light /laɪt/ |
| h | h | hour /aʊɚ/, honest /ˈɑnɪst/ |
How to make the sound
- When you see kn- at the start, do not say the k: say know as /noʊ/.
- When you see wr- at the start, do not say the w: say write as /raɪt/.
- When you see -mb at the end, do not say the b: say lamb as /læm/.
- Learn common irregular words as whole words: said /sɛd/, was /wʌz/, one /wʌn/.
Examples in sentences
- I know the answer.
know /noʊ/: the k is silent. - Please write your name.
write /raɪt/: the w is silent. - The lamb is white.
lamb /læm/: the b is silent. - He climbed the tree.
climbed /klaɪmd/: the b is silent. - She said it was fine.
said /sɛd/; was /wʌz/. - I have one brother.
one /wʌn/: the spelling does not match the sound. - We walk and talk.
walk /wɔk/ and talk /tɔk/: the l is silent. - It was a quiet night.
night /naɪt/: gh is silent.
Common problems
- Saying every letter: Saying k-now or w-rite sounds wrong. Skip the silent letter.
- Guessing from spelling: Spelling does not always show the sound. Learn the common words as wholes.
- Overgeneralizing: Not every kn or mb is silent in the same way: for example, the b in number is pronounced.
For Vietnamese speakers
- Vietnamese spelling is much more regular than English spelling, so silent letters are surprising. Treat kn, wr and mb as fixed patterns and learn them with the word.
Silent and pronounced letters
A letter can be silent in one word and pronounced in another.
| Letter | Silent | Pronounced |
|---|---|---|
| b | lamb, thumb, climb | number, table, baby |
| k | know, knee | king, kitchen |
| w | write, wrong | water, window |
Check yourself
- Which letter is silent in “knee”?
Show the answer
k kn- at the start: k is silent.
- How do you say “lamb”?
Show the answer
/læm/ The b is silent.
- Which letter is silent in “write”?
Show the answer
w wr- at the start: w is silent.
Questions
Why does English have silent letters?
Spelling kept older pronunciations. Words such as knee were once said with the k, but the sound disappeared while the spelling stayed.
Is there a rule for all silent letters?
No, but a few patterns cover many words: kn-, wr-, -mb, -lk.
How do I learn them?
Learn the common ones as patterns, and check unfamiliar words in a dictionary, which shows the pronunciation.
More lessons in this part
Part of the 👄 Pronunciation tool: Phonics & Word Decoding. See also the English pronunciation guide. Đọc bằng tiếng Việt.
Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.
Reviewed by Chinh Q. Hoang, PhD, founder, English for Fun · 2026-10-30