However, the consonant combinations “ts” and “ps” aren’t used to start words in English, so the first letters became silent so it would meet the language’s phonological rules.

Silent Knight Calling all spelling bee champs. Many English words have letters that aren't pronounced, and for no good reason. Puzzle guy Will Hines shines the harsh light of day on words that try ...

15 words plagued by unusual silent letters. Damn you, tricky consonant clusters. Newsletter sign up Newsletter (Image credit: (ClassicStock/Corbis)) By Arika Okrent. last updated 8 January 2015 ...

Teaching your little ones how to correctly pronounce their words isn't easy - especially when there are so many silent consonants and necessary vowels. The English language really isn't easy ...

Silent consonants. Most consonants at the end of words aren't pronounced. These are called silent letters. For example d, p, s, t, x, z are silent at the end of a word.