Silent Letters (kn, wr, mb)

Letters that hide

Some words have a letter you can see but cannot hear. We call these silent letters. They are written down, but they stay quiet, like a tiny shhh. Today we meet three: kn, wr and mb.

Silent k (kn)

When a word starts with kn, the k is silent. You only hear the n.

• knee → say nee 🦵
• knot → say not 🪢
• knock → say nock ✊
• knife → say nife 🔪

The k is there, but it does not make a sound!

Silent w (wr)

When a word starts with wr, the w is silent. You only hear the r.

• write → say rite ✍️
• wrist → say rist ⌚
• wrap → say rap 🎁
• wrong → say rong ❌

Silent b (mb)

When a word ends with mb, the b is silent. You only hear the m.

• lamb → say lam 🐑
• thumb → say thum 👍
• comb → say com 💈
• climb → say clim 🧗

A little word list

Read these tricky words out loud:

• knee 🦵
• knot 🪢
• write ✍️
• wrist ⌚
• lamb 🐑
• thumb 👍

Play the games below to find the quiet letters!

When you can spot silent letters, try the soft sounds in soft c and soft g and the team letters in consonant blends.