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Silent T words

T is usually silent in the clusters -STLE and -STEN, and in many French loanwords ending in -ET. So castle is 'cassle' and listen is 'lissen'. Note that 'often' is genuinely variable: both 'off-en' and 'off-ten' are accepted, though the silent-T version is the older and more common one.


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The words

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Hour, honest, ghost, rhythm: an H on the page that never reaches your mouth. Practise all fifteen.
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Write, wrong, sword, answer: the W is invisible in speech. Hear these silent-W words pronounced.
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Psychology, pneumonia, receipt: the P stays quiet. Practise these Greek-derived silent-P words.
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Sign, design, gnome, champagne: the G disappears before N. Hear the correct pronunciation of each.
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Autumn, column, hymn: an N that vanishes after M at the end of a word. Practise these MN endings.
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Wednesday, handkerchief, handsome: the D drops out in normal speech. Hear how they really sound.
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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.