Silent Letters and Rhyming Words Activities

Silent letters and rhyming words activities

Read the poem below and do the activity or activities here that your teacher says:

• Work together to read through the poem below, making sure that the two lines which are together rhyme, e.g. that line three rhymes with line four. One person should say just line one, then the next person should say lines two and three, then the next person lines four and five, etc, so the two rhyming words are said by different people each time.
• Listen as your partner reads out the first ten lines of the poem and correct them if any of the pairs of lines don’t rhyme. They will then do the same as you read the next ten lines.
• Listen as your partner reads out the poem with silent letters wrongly pronounced, then correct them on their deliberate mistakes.
• Listen as your partner reads out the poem, underline any letters in the final words of the lines which they don’t pronounce, then discuss which letters you underlined and if there are any other silent letters.
• Work together to underline the silent letters in the final words of the lines below, using the rhymes with the matching words to help. There is one silent letter in each pair of lines.

Ask about anything you don’t understand, are not sure how to pronounce, etc.

Do the matching and/ or gapfill tasks below.

Look at lists of silent letters online, try to think of rhyming words, then do one of these activities:

• Challenge another group to think of rhyming words for words with silent letters
• Read out the word with a silent letter and the word you thought of, and see if the other group agree that they rhyme
• Read out the word and rhyming word and see if the other group can identify the silent letter

Silent letters poem

There are many mountains that I want to climb

I will do one this evening if I have the time

 

My birthday treat is one chocolate biscuit

But I’m on a diet – I shouldn’t risk it

 

I shouted out for a hip-hop dancer

But from the street there was no answer

 

It took some time to walk down the aisle

From the door to the priest was more than a mile

 

The priest asked us to sing a hymn

But it was difficult to do both that and swim

 

He asked me to repay my debt

But my money was all far too wet

 

I wish that I was much more handsome

Then my wife would pay my ransom

 

I really need a new steam iron

But instead I bought another lion

 

The police want me to take off my hood

But my hair is a mess, so I don’t think I should

 

Cavemen didn’t use a comb

Having neat hair was invented in Rome

 

I nearly bought the whole of Oxford Street

But the man on the corner wouldn’t give a receipt

 

Mary had a little lamb

But she swapped it for my can of Spam

 

The tarantula asked to be let out

I shouldn’t have done it, without a doubt

 

He asked to join me in my tomb

But with me and my car there won’t be room

 

A typical hitchhiker’s thumb

Is much improved if you stick on a plum

 

Matching rhyming words

Thinking about rhyme and meaning, find a matching line for each line on the left.

There are many mountains that I want to climb   My birthday treat is one chocolate biscuit     I shouted out for a hip-hop dancer     It took some time to walk down the aisle     The priest asked us to sing a hymn     He asked me to repay my debt     I wish that I was much more handsome     I really need a new steam iron     The police want me to take off my hood     Cavemen Britons didn’t use a comb     I nearly bought the whole of Oxford Street   Mary had a little lamb   The tarantula asked to be let out   He asked to join me in my tomb   A typical hitchhiker’s thumb

But I’m on a diet – I shouldn’t risk it     But from the street there was no answer     But instead I bought another lion     But it was difficult to do both that and swim     But my hair is a mess, so I don’t think I should   But my money was all far too wet     But she swapped it for my can of Spam     But the man on the corner wouldn’t give a receipt   But with me and my car there won’t be room   From the door to the priest was more than a mile   Having neat hair was invented in Rome   I shouldn’t have done it, without a doubt   I will do one this evening if I have the time   Smells and looks better if you stick on a plum   Then my wife would pay my ransom

 

Check above.

 

Second rhyming word gapfill

Write a rhyming word in each gap below, thinking about the pronunciation and meaning, making sure that you don’t pronounce the silent letters in the words at the end of the lines.

 

There are many mountains that I want to climb

I will do one this evening if I have the ________________

My birthday treat is one chocolate biscuit

But I’m on a diet – I shouldn’t risk _____________________

I shouted out for a hip-hop __________________________

But from the street there was no answer

It took some time to walk down the aisle

From the door to the priest was more than a ________________

The priest asked us to sing a hymn

But it was difficult to do both that and _____________________

He asked me to repay my debt

But my money was all far too _________________________

I wish that I was much more handsome

Then my wife would pay my _________________________

I really need a new steam iron

But instead I bought another _________________________

The police want me to take off my ____________________

But my hair is a mess, so I don’t think I should

Cavemen didn’t use a comb

Having neat hair was invented in ____________________

I nearly bought the whole of Oxford ___________________

But the man on the corner wouldn’t give a receipt

Mary had a little lamb

But she swapped it for my can of ___________________

The tarantula asked to be let ______________________

I shouldn’t have done it, without a doubt

He asked to join me in my tomb

But with me and my car there won’t be ________________

A typical hitchhiker’s thumb

Smells and looks better if you stick on a ___________________

-----------------------------------------------------fold, cover or cut--------------------------------------------------

 

Use these mixed answers to help:

Rome                                             Spam                                              Street

answer                             hood                                               it

lion                                                  mile                                                 out

plum                                               ransom                             room

swim                                               time                                                 wet

 

First rhyming word gapfill

Write a rhyming word with a silent letter in each gap below.

There are many mountains that I want to ________________

I will do one this evening if I have the time

My birthday treat is one chocolate __________________

But I’m on a diet – I shouldn’t risk it

I shouted out for a new dancer

But from the street there was no _________________

It took some time to walk down the ________________

From the door to the priest was more than a mile

The priest asked us to sing a ____________________

But it was difficult to do both that and swim

He asked me to repay my _________________

But my money was all far too wet

I wish that I was much more ________________

Then my wife would pay my ransom

I really need a new steam ___________________

But instead I bought another lion

The police want me to take off my hood

But my hair is a mess, so I don’t think I ________________

Cavemen didn’t use a _____________________

Having neat hair was invented in Rome

I nearly bought the whole of Oxford Street

But the man on the corner wouldn’t give a __________________

Mary had a little ______________________

But she swapped it for my can of Spam

The tarantula asked to be let out

I shouldn’t have done it, without a ___________________

He asked to join me in my ___________________

But with me and my car there won’t be room

A typical hitchhiker’s ____________________

Is much improved if you stick on a plum

 

-----------------------------------------------------fold, cover or cut--------------------------------------------------

 

Use these mixed answers to help:

aisle                                                answer                             biscuit

climb                                               comb                                              debt

doubt                                              handsome                                     hymn

iron                                                 lamb                                               receipt

should                                            thumb                                             tomb