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Silent C words

C is silent after S in words like scissors, science and muscle, where the SC pair produces a single S sound. It is also silent in the endings of indict and Connecticut. Listen for one clean S where the spelling shows two letters.


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The words

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Island, aisle, debris, Illinois: words hiding a silent S. Hear each one said the right way.
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Guess, guitar, tongue, biscuit: a U that only exists to protect the G. Practise these spellings.
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A silent final E that changes the vowel before it: hat to hate, kit to kite. Hear the difference.
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Light, laugh, ghost, high: GH is silent, F, or hard G. Hear which each word takes.
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Words where K is written but never spoken. Hear all ten silent-K words said aloud in your accent.
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Climb, thumb, debt, doubt: words with a B you never say. Listen and copy the correct pronunciation.
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Keep practising

Browse every practice list or the word index, hear two accents back to back on Compare, or test your ear with the listening quiz.

To read the rules behind these words, see the pronunciation guides — including silent letters, word stress and American vs British. Or hear each accent on its own page: American, British, Australian.