Silent Letters: A Pronunciation Guide

1. Silent Letters: A
2. Silent Letters: B
3. Silent Letters: C
4. Silent Letters: D
5. Silent Letters: E
6. Silent Letters: G
7. Silent Letters: GH
8. Silent Letters: K
9. Silent Letters: L
10. Silent Letters: M
11. Silent Letters: N
12. Silent Letters: P
13. Silent Letters: PH
14. Silent Letters: R
15. Silent Letters: S
16. Silent Letters: T
17. Silent Letters: U
18. Silent Letters: W
19. Silent Letters: X
20. Silent Letters: Z

Silent A
Rule Example Pronunciation IPA Phonetic
Rule 1:A is Silent or not Each Eech iʧ
pronounced when E Come Peach Peech piʧ
Before A. Teach Teech tiʧ
Cleave Kleeve kliv
Team Teem tim
Bread Bred brɛd
Rule 2:A is Silent or not Boar Bor bɔr
pronounced when O Come Loan Lown loʊn
Before A. Coal Kowl koʊl
 Float Flowt floʊt
Cocoa Kow-Kowa koʊkoʊ
Rule 3: A is not pronounced in Stoically stow-i-k(u-)lee stoʊɪkli
many adverbs where the words logically ló-ji-k(u-)lee lɑʤɪkli
ends in –ally.
Uses
English Line Phonetic Transcription
Each person is mortal iiʧ ˈpɜrsən ɪz ˈmɔrtəl
He did a peachy job hiː dɪd ə ˈpiːʧi ʤɒb
I taught them English. aɪ tɔːt ðɛm ˈɪŋglɪʃ.
The water is going to cleave a ðə ˈwɔːtər ɪz ˈgəʊɪŋ tuː kliːv ə ˈʧænl ˈɪ
channel into the rock. ntuː ðə rɒk.
We teamed up for this new project wiː tiːmd ʌp fɔː ðɪs njuː ˈprɒʤɛkt
Bread the pork chops before frying brɛd ðə pɔːk ʧɒps bɪˈfɔː ˈfraɪɪŋ ðɛm
them
loan me some money ləʊn miː sʌm ˈmʌni
The big ship coaled ðə bɪg ʃɪp kəʊld
The boat floated on the lake ðə bəʊt ˈfləʊtɪd ɒn ðə leɪk
A beverage made from ə ˈbɛvərɪʤ meɪd frɒm ˈkəʊkəʊ ˈpaʊdə
cocoa powder
He stoically accepted all suffering hiː ˈstəʊɪkəli əkˈsɛptɪd ɔːl ˈsʌfərɪŋ
Logically, you should now do the lɒʤɪkəli, juː ʃʊd naʊ duː ðə seɪm tuː hɪ
same to him. m.

Silent B
Rule Example Pronunciation Phonetic Exception
Transcription
Rule 1: B is not limb lim lɪm
pronounced after M at crumb Krúm Krʌm
the end of a word or dumb Dúm Dʌm
The letter ‘B’ is silent at comb Kowm kəʊm.
the end of a root word bomb Bóm Bɒm
with the combination thumb Thúm Θʌmd
MB climb klIm Klaɪm
tomb toom tuːm.
Rule 2 :B is usually not debt Det Dɛt Obtain
pronounced before T at doubt Dawt Daʊt Obstruct
the end of a root word subtle sú-t(u)l sʌtl
USES

English Line Phonetic Transcription

The upper limb of the bow. ði ˈʌpə lɪm ɒv ðə baʊ.
He gave only a crumb of information hiː geɪv ˈəʊnli ə krʌm ɒv ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃə
about his plans. n əˈbaʊt hɪz plænz.
Dumb officials make some really dumb dʌm əˈfɪʃəlz meɪk sʌm ˈrɪəli dʌm dɪˈs
decisions. ɪʒənz.
His hair needed a comb. hɪz heə ˈniːdɪd ə kəʊm.
The first experiment was a real bomb. ðə fɜːst ɪksˈpɛrɪmənt wɒz ə rɪəl bɒm.
He thumbed through the report. hiː θʌmd θruː ðə rɪˈpɔːt.
Did you ever climb up the hill behind dɪd juː ˈɛvə klaɪm ʌp ðə hɪl bɪˈhaɪnd
your house? jɔː haʊs?
He put flowers on his mother's tomb. hiː pʊt ˈflaʊəz ɒn hɪz ˈmʌðəz tuːm.
He is badly in debt. hiː ɪz ˈbædli ɪn dɛt.
The doubt of his claim. ðə daʊt ɒv hɪz kleɪm.
A subtle mind. ə ˈsʌtl maɪnd.

Silent C
Rule Example Pronunciation Phonetic Exception
Transcription
Rule 1: C is Muscle mú-sul Mʌsl Sclera
not Scissors si-zuz Sɪzəz asclepiad
pronounced in Ascent u'sent əˈsɛnt sclerosis
the Miscellaneous mi-su'ley-nee-us mɪsəˈleɪniəs muscovado
combination Fascinate 'fa-su-neyt Fæsɪneɪt sceptic
SC Scenario su'naa-ree,ow sɪˈnɑːrɪəʊ
Rule 2:C is Acquaintance u'kweyn-t(u)n(t)s əˈkweɪntəns It doesn’t
usually Acknowledge ak'nó-lij əkˈnɒlɪʤ always
redundant Acquit u'kwit əˈkwɪt happen
before the though the ‘c’
letters K or Q. is a /k/ in
Rule 3: The Before Z: zaa'ree-nu zɑːˈriːnə SCEPTIC
letter C is Czarina che-ku-slu'va(a)- ʧɛkəʊsləʊˈvækɪə SCAR SCARE
silent when Czechoslovakia kee-u Mʌsl SCORN
used before Before L: mú-sul Blɒk SCORCH
the letter Z Muscle Blók Pʌk SCOPE
and Before K: Block púk SCANDALOUS
sometimes Puck
when used
before the
letter L and
the letter K
Rule 4: C is Muscle mú-sul Mʌsl
not
pronounced in
the ending
"scle”.
USES

English Statement Phonetic Transcription

The senators used their muscle to get ðə ˈsɛnətəz juːzd ðeə ˈmʌsl tuː gɛt ð
the party leader to resign. ə ˈpɑːti ˈliːdə tuː rɪˈzaɪn.
Efficient scissor cutting depends on ɪˈfɪʃənt ˈsɪzə ˈkʌtɪŋ dɪˈpɛndz ɒn θriː ˈ
three forces. fɔːsɪz.
They cheered the ascent of the hot-air ðeɪ ʧɪəd ði əˈsɛnt ɒv ðə ˈhɒtˈeə bəˈl
balloon. uːn.
A miscellaneous crowd. ə ˌmɪsəˈleɪniəs kraʊd.
She fascinated all the men's hearts. ʃiː ˈfæsɪneɪtɪd ɔːl ðə mɛnz hɑːts.
Planners developed several scenarios ˈplænəz dɪˈvɛləpt ˈsɛvrəl sɪˈnɑːrɪəʊz
in case of an attack. ɪn keɪs ɒv ən əˈtæk.
I have trouble remembering the names aɪ hæv ˈtrʌbl rɪˈmɛmbərɪŋ ðə neɪmz
of all my acquaintances. ɒv ɔːl maɪ əˈkweɪntənsɪz.
She acknowledged that she might ʃiː əkˈnɒlɪʤd ðæt ʃiː maɪt hæv fəˈgɒt
have forgotten. n.
He acquitted himself with dignity. hiː əˈkwɪtɪd hɪmˈsɛlf wɪð ˈdɪgnɪti.

He lives in the next block. hiː lɪvz ɪn ðə nɛkst blɒk.

 Silent D
Rule Example Pronunciation Phonetic Exception
Transcription
Rule 1: D is not Handkerchief hang-kur-chif Hæŋkəʧɪf
pronounced in Wednesday wenz-dey Wɛnzdeɪ
the following Sandwich sam-wij Sænwɪʤ
common words. Handsome han-sum Hænsəm
Rule 2: D is also Pledge Plej Plɛʤ
not pronounced Dodge Dój Dɒʤ
in the Grudge Grúj Grʌʤ
combination DG. Hedge Hej Hɛʤ
USES

English Statement Phonetic Transcription

A handsome allowance. ə ˈhænsəm əˈlaʊəns.
I was pledged to silence. aɪ wɒz plɛʤd tuː ˈsaɪləns.
The child dodged the teacher's ðə ʧaɪld dɒʤd ðə ˈtiːʧəz bləʊ.
blow.
Holding a grudge. həʊldɪŋ ə grʌʤ.
They tend to hedge their ðeɪ tɛnd tuː hɛʤ ðeə rɪsˌpɒnsəˈbɪ
responsibilities. lɪtiz.

Silent E
Rule Example Pronunciation Phonetic Exception
Transcription
Rule 1: E is not Hope Howp Həʊp Giraffe
pronounced at Drive drIv Draɪv brunette
the end of Gave Giv Geɪv cassette
words and Write rIt Raɪt gazell
usually makes Bite bIt Baɪt
the vowel long. Hide hId Haɪd
USES
English Statement Phonetic Transcription
I am still hoping that all will turn aɪ æm stɪl ˈhəʊpɪŋ ðæt ɔːl wɪl tɜː
out well. n aʊt wɛl.
She drove me to school every day. ʃiː drəʊv miː tuː skuːl ˈɛvri deɪ.
He gave me a lot of trouble. hiː geɪv miː ə lɒt ɒv ˈtrʌbl.
He wrote four novels. hiː rəʊt fɔː ˈnɒvəlz.
The sun bit his face. ðə sʌn bɪt hɪz feɪs.
She is hiding out in a cabin in Delhi. ʃiː ɪz ˈhaɪdɪŋ aʊt ɪn ə ˈkæbɪn ɪn ˈd
ɛli.

Silent G
Rule Example Pronunciation Phonetic Exception
Transcription
Rule 1: G is Champagne sham'peyn ʃæmˈpeɪn Magnet
not often not Foreign fó-rin Fɒrɪn igneous
pronounced Sign sIn Saɪn cognitive
when it comes Design di'zIn dɪˈzaɪn signature
before N. Align u'lIn əˈlaɪn
Cognac 'cón,yak kɒnjæk
Rule 2: The Before N: Deyn Deɪn
letter G is Deign Reign Reyn Reɪn
silent when it Before M: 'dI-u,fram Daɪəfræm
is used before Diaphragm in'tãl-yow ɪnˈtɑːlɪəʊ
the letters M N Before L:
and L. Intaglio
USES
English Statement Phonetic Transcription
Jealousy is foreign to her nature. ʤɛləsi ɪz ˈfɒrɪn tuː hɜː ˈneɪʧə.
She signed the letter and sent it off. ʃiː saɪnd ðə ˈlɛtər ænd sɛnt ɪt ɒf.
This room is not designed for work. ðɪs ruːm ɪz nɒt dɪˈzaɪnd fɔː wɜːk.
Align the wheels of my car. əˈlaɪn ðə wiːlz ɒv maɪ kɑː.
Money reigns supreme here. mʌni reɪnz sju(ː)ˈpriːm hɪə.
The new cameras adjust the ðə njuː ˈkæmərəz əˈʤʌst ðə ˈdaɪ
diaphragm automatically. əfræm ˌɔːtəˈmætɪkəli.
 Silent GH
Rule Example Pronunciation Phonetic Exception
Transcription
Rule 1: GH is Thought Thort θɔːt Doghouse
not Drought Drawt draʊt foghorn
pronounced Through Throo θruː bighead
when it comes Thorough thú-ru ˈθʌrə (exceptions
after a vowel. Borough bú-ru ˈbʌrə are generally
Daughter dor-tu® ˈdɔːtə compound
Light lIt laɪt words i.e.
Might mIt maɪt words that
Sigh sI saɪ have been
Right rIt raɪt formed by
Fight fIt faɪt combining
Weigh ,Weig Wey ,weyt weɪ ,weɪt two
ht complete
words)
Rule 2: GH is Rough Tough Rúf rʌf tʌf
sometimes Laugh Túf lɑːf ɪˈnʌf
pronounced Enough Lãf kɒf
like F. Cough i'núf Clough
Clough drɑːft
Draught
Rule 3 :GH is Thought Thort θɔːt
not Through Throo θruː ˈ
pronounced Daughter dor-tu(r) dɔːtə
before T and at
the end of
many words.
USES
English Statetment Phonetic Transcription
she paused for thought. ʃiː pɔːzd fɔː θɔːt.
The train went through the tunnel. ðə treɪn wɛnt θruː ðə ˈtʌnl.
Our accountant is thorough. aʊər əˈkaʊntənt ɪz ˈθʌrə.
When England defeated Pakistan it wɛn ˈɪŋglənd dɪˈfiːtɪd ˈpækɪsˌtæn ɪt
ended a ten-year drought. ˈɛndɪd ə tɛn-jɪə draʊt.
Her daughter cared for her in her hɜː ˈdɔːtə keəd fɔː hɜːr ɪn hɜːr əʊld
old age. eɪʤ.
Although he saw it in a different ɔːlˈðəʊ hiː sɔː ɪt ɪn ə ˈdɪfrənt laɪt, h
light, he still did not understand. iː stɪl dɪd nɒt ˌʌndəˈstænd.
It might rain. ɪt maɪt reɪn.
She sighed sadly. ʃiː saɪd ˈsædli.
He feels he is in the right. hiː fiːlz hiː ɪz ɪn ðə raɪt.
Don't fight it!. dəʊnt faɪt ɪt!.
Weigh heavily on the mind. weɪ ˈhɛvɪli ɒn ðə maɪnd.
A rough guess. ə rʌf gɛs.
A tough character. ə tʌf ˈkærɪktə.
His face wrinkled in a silent laugh of hɪz feɪs ˈrɪŋkld ɪn ə ˈsaɪlənt lɑːf ɒv
derision. dɪˈrɪʒən.
Have I eaten enough? hæv aɪ ˈiːtn ɪˈnʌf?

Silent H
Rule Example Pronunciati Phonetic Exception
on Transcription
Rule 1: H is not What Wót wɒt hill history
pronounced When Wen wɛn height
when it comes Where weh® weə happy
after W (n.b. Whether we-dhu® ˈwɛðə hereditary
some speakers Why wI waɪ (remember
whisper the H to use the
before the W) article “a”
Rule 2: H is not Hour a·wu® aʊə with voiced
pronounced at Honest ó-nist ˈɒnɪst H)
the beginning Honour ó-nu® ˈɒnə
of many words . Heir eh® eə

Rule 3: H is Choir kwI(-u)r kwaɪə

often not Chorus kor-rus ˈkɔːrəs
pronounced Ghastly gãst-lee ˈgɑːstli
when it comes Aghast u'gãst əˈgɑːst
after C G or R. Echo e-kow ˈɛkəʊ
Rhinoceros rI'nó-su-rus raɪˈnɒsərəs
 Rhythm ri-dhum ˈrɪðəm

Rule 4 :The Before A E I ha-lu'loo-yu hæləˈluːjə

letter H is often and O: ó-nist ˈɒnɪst
silent when it Hallelujah hi'stó-ri-kul hɪsˈtɒrɪkə
precedes the Honest Gowst gəʊst
letters E and O Historical Mur mɜː
and when it After G: is-mus ˈɪsməs
follows the Ghost
letters G R and After R: Myrrh
T. After T:
Isthmus
USES
English Statetment Phonetic Transcription
What do you mean? wɒt duː juː miːn?
Where are you going? weər ɑː juː ˈgəʊɪŋ?
I wondered whether you were going aɪ ˈwʌndəd ˈwɛðə juː wɜː ˈgəʊɪŋ t
to the party? uː ðə ˈpɑːti?
Why are you here? waɪ ɑː juː hɪə?
The job will take more than an hour. ðə ʤɒb wɪl teɪk mɔː ðæn ən ˈaʊə.
My honest opinion maɪ ˈɒnɪst əˈpɪnjən
Honour your parents! ɒnə jɔː ˈpeərənts!
(music) sing in a choir (ˈmjuːzɪk) sɪŋ ɪn ə ˈkwaɪə
A chorus of boos ə ˈkɔːrəs ɒv buːz
Ghastly wounds gɑːstli wuːndz
The union was aghast at the news ðə ˈjuːnjən wɒz əˈgɑːst æt ðə njuː
that up to 1500 jobs were to be lost. z ðæt ʌp tuː 1500 ʤɒbz wɜː tuː biː
lɒst.
The hall echoed with laughter ðə hɔːl ˈɛkəʊd wɪð ˈlɑːftə
The piece has a fast rhythm ðə piːs hæz ə fɑːst ˈrɪðəm
Historical scholars hɪsˈtɒrɪkəl ˈskɒləz
He looked like he had seen a ghost hiː lʊkt laɪk hiː hæd siːn ə gəʊst
 Silent K
Rule Example Pronunciation Phonetic Exception
Transcription
Rule 1: K is not Knife nIf naɪf
pronounced when knee Nee niː
it comes before N Know Now nəʊ
at the beginning knock Nók nɒk
of a word. knowledge nó-lij nɒlɪʤ
USES
English Statement Phonetic Transcription
Hit with the knee. hɪt wɪð ðə niː.
I know that the President lied to aɪ nəʊ ðæt ðə ˈprɛzɪdənt laɪd tuː
the people. ðə ˈpiːpl.
The current state of knowledge. ðə ˈkʌrənt steɪt ɒv ˈnɒlɪʤ.

Silent L
Rule Example Pronunciation Phonetic Exception
Transcription
Rule 1: L is not Calm kaa(l)m kɑːm Halo
pronounced after Half Hãf hɑːf Bulk
the vowels A O Talk Tork tɔːk sulk
and U. Walk Work wɔːk Hold
‘l’ is often silent Calf kãf kɑːf sold
after ‘a’ but Salmon sa-mun ˈsæmən fold
tends to create a Chalk Chork ʧɔːk mould
long vowel Balm baa(l)m bɑːm
Rule 2: The WOULD Wûd wʊd
modal verbs COULD Kûd kʊd
shouldn’t SHOULD Shûd ʃʊd
contain /l/ .
Rule 3 :L is often Would Wûd wʊd
not pronounced Should Shû ʃʊd
before L D F M K. Calf kãf kɑːf
Half Hãf hɑːf
 Salmon sa-mun ˈsæmən
Talk Tork tɔːk

USES
English Statement Phonetic Transcription
Spoke in a calm voice. spəʊk ɪn ə kɑːm vɔɪs.
Half an hour. hɑːf ən ˈaʊə.
Actions talk louder than words. ækʃ(ə)nz tɔːk ˈlaʊdə ðæn wɜːdz.
Walk, don't run! wɔːk, dəʊnt rʌn!
Would you please be quiet!? wʊd juː pliːz biː ˈkwaɪət!?
Could I have the address please? kʊd aɪ hæv ði əˈdrɛs pliːz?
The judge was solemn as he ðə ˈʤʌʤ wɒz ˈsɒləm æz hiː prəˈ
pronounced sentence. naʊnst ˈsɛntəns.

Silent M
Rule Example Pronunciation Phonetic Exception
Transcription
Rule 1: If N Mnemonic ni'mó-nik ni(ː)ˈmɒnɪk Autumn
Comes after
M ,M is Silent

Silent N
Rule Example Pronunciation Phonetic Exception
Transcription
Rule 2: N is not Autumn or-tum ˈɔːtəm
pronounced when Hymn Him hɪm
it comes after M Column kó-lum ˈkɒləm
at the end of a Solemn só-lum ˈsɒləm
word
USES
English Statetment Phonetic Transcription
In the autumn of 2019. ɪn ði ˈɔːtəm ɒv 2019.
They hymned their love of God. ðeɪ hɪmd ðeə lʌv ɒv gɒd.
He added a column of numbers. hiː ˈædɪd ə ˈkɒləm ɒv ˈnʌmbəz.
The judge was solemn as he ðə ˈʤʌʤ wɒz ˈsɒləm æz hiː prəˈ
pronounced sentence. naʊnst ˈsɛntəns.

Silent P
Rule Example Pronunciation Phonetic
Transcription
Rule 1: P is not Psychiatrist si'kI-u-trist saɪˈkaɪətrɪst
pronounced at the Pneumonia nyoo'mow-nee-u njuːˈməʊniə
beginning of many Pseudonym syoo-d(u-)nim ˈsjuːdənɪm ˌ
words using the Pterodactyl te-ru'dak-til tɛrəˈdæktɪl
combinations PS PT
and PN.

Silent PH
Rule Example Pronunciatio Phonetic Exception
n Transcription
Rule 1: PH Telephone 'te-lu,fown ˈtɛlɪfəʊn
is Paragraph 'pa-ru,grãf ˈpærəgrɑːf
sometimes Alphabet 'al-fu,bet ˈælfəbɪt
pronounce Epiphany e'pi-fu-nee ɪˈpɪfəni
d like F. Sophomore 'sóf,mor ˈsɒfəmɔː
USES
English Statetment Phonetic Transcription
I talked to him on the telephone. aɪ tɔːkt tuː hɪm ɒn ðə ˈtɛlɪfəʊn.
This story is well paragraphed. ðɪs ˈstɔːri ɪz wɛl ˈpærəgrɑːft.
He mastered only the alphabets of hiː ˈmɑːstəd ˈəʊnli ði ˈælfəbɪts ɒv
geometry. ʤɪˈɒmɪtri.

Silent R
Rule Example Pronunciat Phonetic Exception
ion Transcription
Rule 1 In GB : CARD Kaad kɑːd Round
English we WORK Wurk wɜːk
only Short ʃɔːt In American
pronounce /r/ World wɜːld English
if it comes though all
before a vowel ‘r’s are
sound. pronounced
CARD WORK
Rule 2 In GB : Mother mú-dhu® mʌðə POUR and
When R comes Father faa-dhu(r) ˈfɑːðə MOTHER.
at Last in any Door dɔː
word R Pour pɔː
Became Silent Computer kəmˈpjuːtə

USES
English Statetment Phonetic Transcription
He had to show his card to get in. hiː hæd tuː ʃəʊ hɪz kɑːd tuː gɛt ɪn.
It is not regarded as one of his more ɪt ɪz nɒt rɪˈgɑːdɪd æz wʌn ɒv hɪz
memorable pieces of work. mɔː ˈmɛmərəbl ˈpiːsɪz ɒv wɜːk.
People were pouring out of the ˈpiːpl wɜː ˈpɔːrɪŋ aʊt ɒv ðə ˈθɪətə
theatre. .
Necessity is the mother of nɪˈsɛsɪti ɪz ðə ˈmʌðər ɒv ɪnˈvɛnʃə
invention. n.
keep the faith of our fathers. kiːp ðə feɪθ ɒv ˈaʊə ˈfɑːðəz.

Silent S
Rule Example Pronunciati Phonetic Exception
on Transcription
Rule 1:S is not Island I-Lund ˈaɪlənd
pronounced Isle I(-u)l aɪl
before L in the Islet I-lut aɪlɪt
following
words
USES
English Statetment Phonetic Transcription

Silent T
Rule Example Pronunciati Phonetic Exception
on Transcription
Rule 1 :The FASTEN fã-sun ˈfɑːsn
word ending LISTEN li-sun ˈlɪsn
‘-sten’ doesn’t MOISTEN moy-sun ˈmɔɪsn
contain /t/ CHASTEN chey-sun ˈʧeɪsn
Rule 2 :The NESTLE ne-sul ˈnɛsl
word ending WRESTLE re-sul ˈrɛsl
‘-stle’ doesn’t THISTLE thi-sul ˈθɪsl
contain /t/ CASTLE kã-sul ˈkɑːsl
Rule 3 :The Soften só-fun sɒfn
word ending Often óf-(t)un ˈɒft(ə)n
‘-ften’ doesn’t
contain /t/ .
Rule 4:The Lastly lãst-lee lɑːstli
word ending Mostly mowst-lee ˈməʊstli
‘-stl’‘-ftl’ Softly sóft-lee ˈsɒftli
contain /t/ Justly júst-lee ˈʤʌstli
USES
English Statetment Phonetic Transcription
Fasten the lock onto the door. fɑːsn ðə lɒk ˈɒntʊ ðə dɔː.
Listen to your father. lɪsn tuː jɔː ˈfɑːðə.
Moisten the meat with melted mɔɪsn ðə miːt wɪð ˈmɛltɪd ˈbʌtə.
butter.
She chastened him for his ʃiː ˈʧeɪsnd hɪm fɔː hɪz ɪnˈsɛnsɪtɪv ˈ
insensitive remarks. rɪˈmɑːks.
We nestled against each other to wiː ˈnɛsld əˈgɛnst iːʧ ˈʌðə tuː kiːp
keep warm. wɔːm.
I wrestled with this decision for aɪ ˈrɛsld wɪð ðɪs dɪˈsɪʒən fɔː jɪəz.
years.
soften a shock. sɒfn ə ʃɒk.
We often met over a cup of coffee. wiː ˈɒf(ə)n mɛt ˈəʊvər ə kʌp ɒv ˈk
ɒfi.
These accounts are mostly inactive. ðiːz əˈkaʊnts ɑː ˈməʊstli ɪnˈæktɪv.
She smiled softly. ʃiː smaɪld ˈsɒftli.
That serves him justly. ðæt sɜːvz hɪm ˈʤʌstli.

Silent U
Rule Example Pronunciation Phonetic Exception
Transcription
Rule 1: U is not Guess Ges gɛs
pronounced when it Guidance gI-d(u)n(t)s ˈgaɪdəns
comes after G and Guitar gi'taa® gɪˈtɑː
before a vowel Guard gaad gɑːd
USES
English Statement Phonetic Transcription
I guess she is angry at me for aɪ gɛs ʃiː ɪz ˈæŋgri æt miː fɔː ˈstæ
standing her up. ndɪŋ hɜːr ʌp.
A new council was installed under ə njuː ˈkaʊns(ə)l wɒz ɪnˈstɔːld ˈʌnd
the guidance of the king. ə ðə ˈgaɪdəns ɒv ðə kɪŋ.
He was on guard that night. hiː wɒz ɒn gɑːd ðæt naɪt.

Silent W
Rule Example Pronunciation Phonetic Exception
Transcription
Rule 1:W is not Wrap Rap ræp though not
pronounced at Write rIt raɪt in the
the beginning of Wrong Róng rɒŋ onomatopo
a word when it Wreck Rek rɛk eic words
is before the Wrestle re-sul ˈrɛsl WHOOSH or
letter R. Wrist rist rɪst WHOOP
which
Rule 2:Rule 2: Who Hoo huː entered
W is not Whose Hooz huːz English
pronounced in Whom Hoom huːm much later.
the following Whole Hówl həʊl
words. Whoever hoo'e-vu® hu(ː)ˈɛvə
Answer ãn-su(r) ˈɑːnsə
Sword Sword sɔːd
Two tuː
Rule3 :The WHO Hoo huː
spelling ‘wh’ WHOM hoom huːm
normally has a WHOSE Hooz huːz
silent w when WHORE Hor hɔː
followed by a WHOLE hówl həʊl
rounded vowel
USES
English Statetment Phonetic Transcription
Wrap the present. ræp ðə ˈprɛznt.
He wrote four novels. hiː rəʊt fɔː ˈnɒvəlz.
The report in the paper is wrong. ðə rɪˈpɔːt ɪn ðə ˈpeɪpər ɪz rɒŋ.
The house was a wreck when they ðə haʊs wɒz ə rɛk wɛn ðeɪ bɔːt ɪt.
bought it.
I wrestled with this decision for aɪ ˈrɛsld wɪð ðɪs dɪˈsɪʒən fɔː jɪəz.
years.
I'm the one who bought it aɪm ðə wʌn huː bɔːt ɪt
Whose is this coat? huːz ɪz ðɪs kəʊt?
She whored herself to Hollywood. ʃiː hɔːd hɜːˈsɛlf tuː ˈhɒlɪwʊd.
The baby cried the whole trip ðə ˈbeɪbi kraɪd ðə həʊl trɪp həʊm
home. .

Silent X
Rule Example Pronunciation Phonetic Exception
Transcription
Faux pas fow'paa fəʊ pɑː

Silent Z
Rule Example Pronunciatio Phonetic Exception
n Transcription
Rendezvous 'rón-dey,voo ˈrɒndɪvuː
USES
English Statetment Phonetic Transcription
He was waiting for them at the hiː wɒz ˈweɪtɪŋ fɔː ðɛm æt ðə ˈrɒnd
rendezvous. ɪvuː.