This is a list of important words to learn the pronunciation of because at least one letter is spelt but not said. It is given in approximate order of when to learn them, starting with words with silent letters which are vital even for very low-level learners and ending with useful words which even very high-level learners might not know. This site also has an article on how to teach words with silent letters and worksheets on some of the words, spellings, letter combinations and silent letters in this list.
Elementary words with silent letters/ A1-level words with silent letters
- answer
- autumn
- ballet
- biscuit
- buffet
- build
- business
- Christmas
- climb/ climber
- could
- cupboard
- hour
- island
- knife
- know/ knows/ knew
- listen
- raspberry
- receipt
- sandwich
- science/ scientist
- scissors
- should
- Wednesday
- what
- when
- where
- which
- whiskey/ whisky
- white
- who/ whose
- why
- would
- wrap
- wrestling
- write
- wrong
- yoghurt
Pre-Intermediate words with silent letters/ A2-level words with silent letters
- aisle
- anywhere/ everywhere/ nowhere/ somewhere
- bomb
- built
- castle
- comb
- exhibition
- foreign/ foreigner
- ghost
- guarantee
- guard
- handkerchief
- handsome
- honest
- iron/ ironing
- knee
- knit/ knitting
- lamb
- listener
- muscle
- plumber
- rhyme/ rhyming
- rhythm
- scenery
- thumb
- whale
- wheat
- wheel/ wheelchair
- whether
- while
- whistle
- whole
- wrote
Intermediate words with silent letters/ B1-level words with silent letters
- acquaintance
- artistically
- basically
- bomber
- cabaret
- campaign/ campaigner
- chalet
- column/ columnist
- comically
- debt
- dishonest
- doubt/ doubtful
- exhausted/ exhausting
- fascinated/ fascinating
- fasten/ unfasten
- gourmet
- hourly
- knapsack
- knight/ knighthood
- knock/ knocker
- knot
- knowledge
- meanwhile
- medically
- mortgage
- parliament
- physically
- politically
- psychiatrist/ psychiatry
- psychologist/ psychology
- psychotherapy
- rhino/ rhinoceros
- sachet
- salmon
- scene
- somewhat
- sorbet
- specifically
- sword
- tomb
- typically
- vehicle
- whereabouts
- whereas
- whilst
- whirlwind
- whisper
- whistle
- whodunnit
- wholemeal
- wholesale
- whom
- worthwhile
- wrapper
- wreath
- wrist
Upper Intermediate words with silent letters/ B2-level words with silent letters
- acquire/ acquisition
- asthma/ asthmatic
- beret
- bidet
- breadcrumbs/ crumbs
- condemn
- coup
- critically
- cynically
- damn
- descend/ descent
- diarrhoea/ diarrhea
- dumb
- elsewhere
- ethically
- exhaustion
- exhibitor
- exhilarated/ exhilarating
- genetically
- guardian
- hasten
- heir/ heirloom
- honour/ honourable
- hymn
- isle
- kneel
- knickers
- knob
- leopard
- miscellaneous
- obscene/ obscenity
- overwhelm/ underwhelm
- playwright
- pneumonia
- pseudonym
- psychic
- reign/ reigning
- rendezvous
- rhetoric/ rhetorical
- scent/ scented
- silhouette
- soften/ softener
- solemn
- tragically
- wharf
- whichever
- whip/ whiplash
- whisk
- whiten
- whoever
- wholly
- wrench
- wrestle
- wrinkle/ wrinkled/ wrinkly
Advanced and Proficiency words with silent letters/ C1- and C2-level words with silent letters
- abscess
- acquit/ acquittal
- aghast
- aplomb
- apostle
- apropos
- arraign/ arraignment
- ascend/ ascent
- awhile
- bourgeois
- bristle/ bristly
- bustle/ bustling
- cachet
- catacomb
- chez
- crochet
- debris
- debtor
- deign
- depot
- diaphragm
- disciple
- epistle
- erstwhile
- exhaust
- faux
- feign
- fluorescent
- ghastly/ ghastliness
- ghoul/ ghoulish
- glisten/ glistening
- gnarl/ gnarly
- gnash
- gnat
- gnaw
- gnome/ gnomic
- gnu
- gristle/ grisly
- hustle/ hustler
- indict/ indictment
- ironically
- islet
- isthmus
- jamb
- jeopardy
- jostle
- knack
- knackered
- knave
- knead
- knickknack
- knoll
- knuckle
- laissez faire
- limb
- mnemonic
- moisten
- narwhal
- nestle
- numb/ numbness
- parliamentary
- pestle
- phlegm
- playwright
- plumb
- pneumatic
- pneumonic
- psalm
- pseud
- pseudo
- psyche
- psycho/ psychotic
- rapport
- redoubt/ redoubtable
- rhapsodic/ rhapsody/ rhapsodise
- rheumatoid arthritis
- rhinestone
- rhinoplasty
- rhododendron
- rhombic/ rhomboid
- rhubarb
- ricochet
- rustle/ rustler
- scenario
- sciatic/ sciatica
- scimitar
- scintilla
- scintillating
- scion
- shipwright
- solemnity
- soubriquet
- subtle/ subtleness
- succumb
- thistle
- tourniquet
- trestle
- valet
- vehement
- viscount
- whack
- whacko
- wham/ whammy
- wheedle/ wheedling
- wheelie
- wheeze/ wheeziness
- whelk
- wherein
- whet/ whetstone
- whey
- whiff/ whiffy
- whim
- whimper
- whimsy/ whimsical
- whine/ whiny
- whinge
- whirl
- whirr
- whiskers
- whist
- whittle
- whiz
- whoop/ whoopee
- whoops
- whoosh
- whopper/ whopping
- whore
- womb
- wraith
- wrangle/ wrangler
- wrath/ wrathful
- wreak
- wreck/ wreckage
- wren
- wrest
- wretch/ wretched
- wriggle/ wriggly
- wring/ wringer
- writ
- writhe
- wronged/ wrongful
- wrought
- wrung
- wry