Silent Letters
Some letters are written but not said. The k in knee, the w in write, the g in gnat and the b in lamb are all silent letters. They show up in pairs, so kids can learn them as patterns.
Why do words have silent letters?
Hundreds of years ago, people said every letter. Knight really started with a /k/ sound. Over time, the way people talked changed, but the spelling stayed the same. That's why English has letters you can see but can't hear.
The good news: most silent letters come in a few pairs. kn says /n/, wr says /r/, gn says /n/ and mb says /m/. Learn the pair, and every word with it gets easier to read.
kn → /n/ (knee), wr → /r/ (write),
gn → /n/ (gnat), mb → /m/ (lamb).
Silent letters are part of the spellings that don't follow the usual sounds (RF.2.3e), and 3rd graders read more of these tricky words (RF.3.3d). They connect to tricky irregular words.
Silent letter pairs
The silent letter is the one you don't say.
| Pair | Says | Where | Words |
|---|---|---|---|
| kn | /n/ | start of a word | knee, knot, know, knife, knock, knit |
| wr | /r/ | start of a word | write, wrap, wrong, wrist, wren |
| gn | /n/ | start or end | gnat, gnaw, sign, design |
| mb | /m/ | end of a word | lamb, comb, thumb, climb, crumb |
| igh | long i | middle or end | night, light, high, right |
| silent h | h is not said | start or after w | hour, honest, what, when |
The igh pattern is the most common one. The gh is silent and the i says its name: night, light, bright.
Silent letters in sentences
The silent letter is highlighted.
- I hurt my knee.
- Write your name.
- The gnat is tiny.
- The lamb is soft.
- Can you tie a knot?
- Climb up the tree.
- Turn on the light.
- Look at the sign.
- Is the answer wrong?
- Wait one hour.
Silent letters can change meaning: know and no, write and right, knot and not sound the same but mean different things.
How to teach silent letters
Five short steps, about 10 minutes each.
- One pair at a time. Start with kn, then wr, then mb and gn.
- Cross it out. Write the word and lightly cross out the silent letter. Read what's left.
- Say it the old way. For fun, say "k-nee" with the k. Then say it the way we do now.
- Homophone pairs. know/no, write/right, knot/not. Talk about the meanings.
- Spelling hunt. Find silent letter words in books and add them to a list.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
| Mistake | Why it happens | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Reads knee as "k-nee" | Sounding every letter. | kn at the start says /n/. |
| Writes rite for write | Spelling by sound. | Think about meaning: write (with a pencil) has a silent w. |
| Writes lam for lamb | Leaving off the silent b. | Learn mb words as a group: lamb, comb, thumb, climb. |
| Reads light as "lig-ht" | Not knowing igh. | igh says long i: l-igh-t. |
Practice: silent letters quiz
10 questions. Your child can tap the speaker to hear a question read aloud. The first try on each question counts toward the score.
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1.Which letter is silent in knee?
Show answer
k.
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2.Which letter is silent in write?
Show answer
w.
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3.Tap the word with a silent b.
.
Show answer
lamb.
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4.What does kn say?
Show answer
/n/.
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5.Which spelling is right?
Show answer
thumb.
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6.Tap the word with a silent letter.
?
Show answer
know.
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7.Which word has a silent g?
Show answer
sign.
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8.Which word means to use a pencil?
Show answer
write.
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9.In night, which letters are silent?
Show answer
g and h. igh says long i.
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10.Which word has a silent h?
Show answer
hour.
Silent Letters worksheet (free PDF)
Silent Letters Worksheet, 2nd–3rd grade
Circle silent letters, sort words by pattern, fill in kn, wr or mb and pick the right word in homophone pairs. Prints on US Letter paper, with an answer key.
Download the PDFTry it at home
- Silent letter list: start a list on the fridge and add words you find.
- Say it the old way: k-nee, w-rite. It's silly and it sticks.
- Homophone pairs: know/no, knot/not, write/right.
- Body words: knee, wrist, thumb: all have silent letters.
- Spelling check: when a word starts with /n/, could it be kn?
What comes next
Next, kids learn tricky irregular words. Earlier: soft c and g. See all skills on the 2nd grade and 3rd grade pages, or browse all phonics lessons.
Practice with a game
Free, no sign-up, and they work on phones, tablets and computers.
Magic E
Spell CatcherLast reviewed: November 11, 2026
Questions parents ask
What are silent letters?
Letters that are written in a word but not said, like the k in knee or the b in lamb.
Why does English have silent letters?
People used to say those letters. The way people talked changed over time, but the spelling stayed.
What are the most common silent letter pairs?
kn (knee), wr (write), gn (gnat), mb (lamb) and igh (night).
What grade learns silent letters?
Usually 2nd and 3rd grade, as part of reading words with unusual spellings.
How do I help my child spell silent letter words?
Learn them in groups by pattern, and use meaning to pick between pairs like write and right.