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Welcome to our guide on the silent ‘b’! Ever wondered why some words have a ‘b’ that you don’t pronounce? We’ll explore those quirky words and the rules behind this silent letter. Are you ready? Let’s dive in…
introduction to silent letters in English
A silent letter is a letter from a word which is not pronounced when the word is spoken aloud. They still however appear in the written word. They can make spelling tricky but often provide clues about a word’s origin and meaning.
In this lesson. We’ll be specifically focusing on the silent ‘b’.
common words with silent b
examples of silent b at the end of words
The silent ‘b’ at the end of words can be puzzling. It usually comes from older spellings or influences from other languages, making words look a bit quirky but interesting! Here’s a list of the most common ones:
- bomb
- climb
- comb
- crumb
- dumb
- lamb
- limb
- numb
- succumb
- thumb
- tomb
- womb.
While many of these words come from Old English or have Latin roots, the ‘b’ remains silent in modern pronunciation.
examples of silent b in the middle of words
Have you ever noticed a ‘b’ in the middle of a word that isn’t pronounced? Let’s take a look at a list of the common ones.
- debt
- doubt
- climbing
- plumber
- subtle
- thumbprint
- thumbtack
- tombstone.
silent b rules
There are some rules you can learn and some patterns to look out for to help you decide if the ‘b’ is silent or not. Let’s take a look.
after ‘m’ at the end of a word
The ‘b’ is silent when it follows ‘m’ at the end of a word. For example:
- bomb
- climb
- comb
- crumb
- dumb
- lamb
- limb
- numb
- thumb
- tomb.
before ‘t’ in the middle or end of a word
The ‘b’ is silent when it appears before ‘t’ in the middle or end of a word. For example:
- debt
- debtless
- doubt
- doubter
- subtle
- subtlety.
There are however some exceptions. Not all words with ‘bt’ will have a silent ‘b’. For example, in obtain and obtuse, it is pronounced.
Many of these words with a come from Old English or Latin, where the ‘b’ was pronounced in the original form but became silent over time. It often remains in the spelling due to historical usage, even though pronunciation has changed.
tips for remembering
Here’s a little rhyme for you to remember when deciding if the ‘b’ is silent: Silent B after M, or before T.
By understanding these rules and patterns, you can better identify and remember words where the ‘b’ is silent.
Also, practice, practice, practice! The more you see these words, the more likely you are to remember the pronunciation. I have made some videos for you to check out so you can hear the real pronunciation.
Test your knowledge – Fun quizzes on silent ‘b’ words
Now it’s time to see how much you’ve learnt, watch the videos and answer the questions on the silent ‘b’.
additional resources
Did you enjoy this article on silent letters? Well why not learn some of the many more we have in English by following the links below. You can even share it with your English learning buddies.
You can also head to my pronunciation section for more tips and tricks about how to master the English language.