Silent letters.

Unit 1.

Silent letters ‘b’, ‘n’, ‘k’, ‘s’, ‘z’.

Linguistic commentary on the unit.

1. Silent ‘b’.

Letter ‘b’ is silent in the following cases:

1. in the letter combination ‘–bt’ both at the end and in the middle of words: debt, doubt, subtle; debtor, doubtable, etc.;

2. in the letter combination ‘–mb’ at the end of words: climb, bomb, comb, tomb, catacomb, crumb, dumb, numb, plumb, thumb, limb, lamb – and in some words inflected and derived from them: plumber, combing, etc. However, in other words not derived from ones mentioned above ‘b’ is always pronounced when the combination ‘-mb’ is used in the middle of a word: number, amber, somber, humble, mumble, lumber, timber, etc.

NB! Letter ‘b’ is often pronounced in the words iamb (contracted from iambus) and rhomb (contracted from rhombus).

2. Silent ‘n’.

Letter ‘n’ is silent in the letter combination ‘-mn’ at the end of words and in their inflected forms: autumn, column, solemn, damn, condemn, hymn. However, it is always pronounced in derivatives from these words: autumnal, solemnity, etc. The derivative solemnly is the only exception where ‘n’ is still silent for the convenience of pronunciation.

3. Silent ‘k’.

Letter ‘k’ is silent in the letter combination ‘kn-’ at the beginning of words and in their inflected and derived forms: knack, knap, knave, knead, knit, knee, kneel, knife, knight, know, knowledge, knock, knob, knot, knuckle.

However, ‘ck’ and ‘k’ before ‘n’ medially are pronounced: acknowledge, etc.

4. Silent ‘s’, ‘z’.

Letters ‘s’ and ‘z’ are not pronounced in some words of French origin and in their inflected and derived forms: aisle, chamois, chassis, corps, Illinois, Arkansas, Grosvenor, isle, island, islet, précis, pince-nez, rendezvous.

Exercises.

Exercise 1. Write out the words with a) silent ‘b’; b) silent ‘n’.

Bomb, bomber, comb, cumber, somber, symbol, subtle, subtract, crumble, limb, limber, numb, nimble, plumb, plumber; autumn, autumnal, column, columnist, condemn, condemnation, condemning, damned, damning, hymn, hymnology, solemn, solemnize, solemnity, solemnly.

Exercise 2. Some of these words end in silent ‘b’ or silent ‘n’. Find these words and add the silent letters.

Lam-, slam-, dam-, ham-, brim-, clim-, whim-, lim-, dim-, slim-, broom-, bom-, foam-, com-, rhom-, num-, dum-, drum-, crum-, hum-, chum-, thum-, slum-, him-, hym-, skim-, gym-, stem-, condem-, autum-, colum-.

Exercise 3. Complete the sentences using one of these words or their inflected forms: know, knowledge, knack, knife, knave, knock.

1. ………. and fools divide the world.

2. ………. is power.

3. There’s a ……….to it.

4. To ………. everything is to ………. nothing.

5. Little ………. is a dangerous thing.

6. When fortune ………., open the door.

Exercise 4. Answer the following questions.

1. Is a person of high rank a nob or a knob?

2. Which of these is a short sleep: nap or knap?

3. Is part of a rope a not or a knot?

4. Which of these is a title: night or knight?

5. Do you knit or nit stockings out of wool?

6. Is Jersey an aisle or an isle?

7. Which of these is a dead body: corps or corpse?

Exercise 5. Guess the words with silent ‘s’ and ‘z’.

1. Middle Western State of the USA.

2. South Central State of the USA.

3. A passage in a church/on a plane.

4. A small island.

5. A piece of land surrounded by water.

6. A base framework of a motor-vehicle.

7. Restatement of the chief ideas in shortened form.

8. Island (used in proper names).

9. A small goat-like animal.

10. One of the technical branches in the army.

Exercise 6. Each name on the left rhymes with one of the words on the right. Find these pairs and try your hand at writing verses.

Rob (from Robert)	knotty
Scotty (from Scott)	précis
Tave (from Octavia)	comb
Dom (from Dominic)	limb
Tim (from Timothy)	knave
Bet (from Elizabeth)	knob
Sam (from Samuel)	debt
Gracie (from Grace)	lamb
Clem (from Clement)	know
Kim (from Kimball)	knap
Toy [twa:] (from Antoinette)	hymn
Lo (from Dolores)	contemn
Nab (from Abel)	chamois
Jack	knack

Exercise 7. Choose the appropriate word.

1. I stood outside the door and polished the nob/knob.

2. I hastily put away the raspberry jam/jamb.

3. A new/knew broom sweeps clean.

4. Turning away he began rapidly to clime/climb up the cliff again.

5. “For God’s sake, shut that damned/dammed window”, he moaned to me.

6. I was not/knot in the least afraid.

7. The engine of the car is nocking/knocking badly.

8. You should seek a milder clime/climb.

9. Many roses will not clime/climb, but have to be carefully trained up a wall.

10. They always neal/kneel in prayer.

11. We never no/know the worth of water till the well is dry.

12. The Victorian hymn/him, although now more popular, often seems rather too subjective.

13. We never dared leave him/hymn alone, even at night/knight.

14. She new/knew his every need/knead before the thought was formed in her own mind.

Exercise 8. Some of the words in the sentences have silent letters. Others don’t. Choose the correct spelling.

1. People were standing about on (k)nots, anxiously waiting for (k)news.

2. He said she had a (k)nack of turning up when you least expected her.

3. The kitchen was looking rather (k)neat.

4. His house was in one of those slum(b) streets.

5. You appear to have a large number of friends in lunatic asylum(n).

6. He is brought as a lam(b) to the slaughter.

7. I cannot even understand where the su(b)tle delights of not smoking come in.

8. After all, you have this dou(b)tful consolation.

9. He didn’t like the feeling of his Aunt’s (k)nuckles on his head.

10. Give me a (k)nob or two of coal.

11. I (k)nodded trying to look as though I’d been doing it all my life.

12. The café is a rende(z)vou(s) for writers and artists.

13. The doctor examined him touching his lim(b)s, feeling his pulse.