10) 8 Silent Letter Rules with (almost) NO EXCEPTIONS

1 2 3 VOWEL SOUND + GH The GH is completely silent unless it uses the /f/ sound WORDS ENDING IN -BT E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M WORDS ENDING IN -MB Watch! CLICK TO WATCH LESSON Daughter Bought Thought Taught Caught High Thigh Through Thorough The B is silent Debt Doubt Subtle d ɛ t da ʊ t s ʌ tl Dumb Thumb Lamb d ʌ m θʌ m læm ˈ d ɔː tə b ɔː t θɔː t t ɔː t k ɔː t ha ɪ θ a ɪ θ ru ː ˈθʌ rə Exceptions: Rough Tough Cough r ʌ f t ʌ f k ɒ f The B is silent 4 WORDS ENDING IN -ED Asked Laughed Ordered Picked Tried Chased æskt læft ˈɔː dəd p ɪ kt tra ɪ d ʧ e ɪ st Exception: -ted / -ded Bomb Tomb Climb b ɒ m tu ː m kla ɪ m Wanted Needed Decided Hated ˈ w ɒ nt ɪ d ˈ ni ː d ɪ d d ɪˈ sa ɪ d ɪ d ˈ he ɪ t ɪ d The E is completely silent unless it comes after a /t/ or /d/ sound

GN IN THE SAME SYLLABLE WORDS BEGINNING IN KN E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M 5 6 Foreign Design Sign Feign Reign ˈ f ɒ rən d ɪˈ za ɪ n sa ɪ n fe ɪ n re ɪ n The G is silent The K is silent Knight Knock Know Knowledge Knee na ɪ t n ɒ k nə ʊ ˈ n ɒ l ɪʤ ni ː WORDS ENDING IN /a:/ /o:/ or /eu/ + LF or LK 7 The L is silent Half Calf Palm h ɑː f k ɑː f p ɑː m Walk Talk Chalk w ɔː k t ɔː k ʧɔː k Yolk Folk jə ʊ k fə ʊ k Other words with a silent L: Could Would k ʊ d Should ʃʊ d w ʊ d WORDS BEGINNING GU + VOWEL / BU + VOWEL 6 The U is silent Guide Guest Guard Build Building Buoy ga ɪ d g ɛ st g ɑː d b ɪ ld ˈ b ɪ ld ɪ ŋ b ɔɪ