Vocabulary Match
Grow your English vocabulary with a free, browser-based matching game. See a word, pick its correct meaning, and build retention through play.
WordsSilent Letters
English spelling preserves letters the language stopped pronouncing centuries ago: the k in knife, the b in doubt, the l in walk. Below: why they survived, and how to find them by sound rather than by memory.
Choose your difficulty
Pick a level to start playing. You can switch at any time.
How to play
Say the word out loud, then tap the letter you did not pronounce.
Tip: your progress and best score are saved in this browser only.
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WordsWhat you are actually practicing
English spelling is a museum. It preserves letters the spoken language stopped using centuries ago: the k in knife, the b in doubt, the l in walk, the w in wrong. The spelling was fixed by printers before the pronunciation settled, so the letters stayed.
For a learner this means one reliable rule: spell it as it looks, say it as it sounds, and know which letters fall between the two.
How the game works
You are shown a word and four of its letters. Pick the one you do not pronounce. A wrong pick reveals the silent letter immediately.
Easy uses the most familiar words. Medium widens the set. Hard uses the full list, where the silent letter can sit in the middle of the word rather than at the front.
The patterns worth knowing
Silent k before n: knife, knock, know, knee.
Silent b after m, or before t: lamb, thumb, comb, doubt, debt.
Silent l before k or f: walk, talk, half, calm.
Silent w before r: wrong, write, wrist.
Silent h at the start: hour, honest.
Silent g before n, or in -ign: sign, foreign, design.
Silent t in -stle and -sten: castle, listen, whistle.
Strategies that actually raise your score
Say the word out loud, slowly. The letter that has no sound in your mouth is the answer. Reading silently lets the spelling trick you into "hearing" it.
Use the position patterns. An initial k before n, a b after m, an l before k — these three cover most of the list, and they are positional, so you can spot them without recalling the word.
Count the sounds as a cross-check. Knife is written with five letters and spoken with three sounds; the two missing sounds are k and e. Naming the count narrows the options.
Ignore the vowel. Silent vowels are a separate topic. These questions are about consonants, so scan the consonants first.