Are there any unsilencable English letters?

Factual Questions
1

I’m just wondering if there are any letters for which we have no examples of silent usage. There are a couple of ground rules to be put forth:
(1) letter combinations: does “treat” contain a silent “a?”
Does “catalogue” contain both a silent “u” and a silent “e,” or a silent “ue”?

(2) incorporated foreign words: could we count a word that was imported directly from another language?

(3) double letters: should “letters” count as having one silent “t?”

I leave these questions and any others open to discussion, but I will suggest that the tentative answers be (1) no, and “ue” (2) yes (3) no. It seems to me that combining letters into one sound does not allow for one of them to claim silence. The only trouble is distinguishing on a practical basis between how the e and the a in “treat” combine to form a long e sound (which e can do on its own), but the e and the c in “silence” are not considered to have combined, especially since the e in the second syllable remains short. If anyone else wants to do silent letter combinations, go ahead. If a word is in standard English usage, I consider it English, even if you normally have to write it in italics.

Okay, the beginner list:
b - comb
c - disciple
e- kite
g - mignon (?)
k - knife
l - talk
m - mnemonic
p- pneumonia
s - isle
t - hustle
w - two
x - prix

I know there’s more, but now that I’m trying to think of them, I can’t. As soon as I’m away from the computer, they’ll all come flooding back to me.

Hiebram

2

a -
b - comb
c - disciple
d -
e- kite
f - halfpenny
g - mignon (?) or flight
h - arguably “why”
i -
j -
k - knife
l - talk (disputable…)
m - mnemonic
n -
o -
p- pneumonia
q -
r - Worchestershire (along with a lot of other letters)
s - isle
t - hustle
u -
v -
w - two
x - prix
y -
z -

(my additions in italics)

3

h - honor
l - would

4

As an example for ‘z’, there’s a mineral called szaibelyite. It’s pronounced “sable-lite.”

5

d - bridge

6

b – another example is “debt”
c – I think I pronopunce both the “s” and “c” in “disciple” (as a double “ess” sound). A clearer example is “science” (the first “c”, of course)
u – “cough”: and the g and h go weird in that too!

7

I pronounce the D in bridge. If I say ‘brij’ it sounds different.

8

If we’re going to allow Worchestershire, I’ll offer

d, n, o, s - Cholmondesley

Also note that Featherstonehaugh is so distant from “fanshaw” that I can’t figure out what to call “silent” in there.

9

This just got done in Cafe Society. Odd coincidence.

10

A lot of those are transformed letters rather than silent letters.
Quay does not sound like uay or ay. Jalepino doesn’t have a silent J just a J pronoynced h.

11

Damn, I can’t think of one with a silent n. :dubious:

12

a - tread
b - comb
c - sick
d - ledger
e- kite
f - halfpenny
g - drought
h - honor
i - sundries
j -
k - knife
l - talk
m - mnemonic
n -
o -
p- pneumonia
q -
r -
s - isle
t - hustle
u - court
v -
w - two
x - prix
y -
z -

13

Autumn

14

May I?
Whhhoooooshhh
c.f.
Originally Posted by hyjyljyj
damn , I can’t think of one with a silent n.

15

Why is ‘z’ still listed as vacant? Szaibelyite is a legitimate word. It’s in Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged (3rd Edition).

16

:smack:

grrrrrrrr.

17

I want to ask for a change on C. Surely there are a lot of “sc” combinations pronounced as a single /s/ sound. But “disciple” to my ear has a double S sound in it: dihs-SIGH-pull. Scientific analysis would quickly turn up another example, I think.

18

Didn’t think anyone would have to limn that one. Aim lower, Sheriff, they’re ridin’ Shetlands…eh Bip? :wink:

This bit from askoxford.com is somewhat arbitrary and questionable:

**C. Many words are spelled with a silent c following s: for example abscess, descend (with descent); omniscient; words ending in -esce, -escent, or -escence, such as acquiesce, effervescent, convalescent. A silent c may also occur before k or q: examples include acknowledge; acquainted; acquire.

D. Silent d is easy to omit before j, as in adjourn; adjunct; adjudicate; adjust.

H. Silent h is particularly common after r - as in diarrhoea (made harder by the double r and the diphthong oe); haemorrhage (a double r adds to the difficulty again); rhythm. C is another letter likely to be followed by h- in saccharine, for example - and remember the h in silhouette.
While thinking about silent letters, remember the t in mortgage and the b in debt and subtle. Watch out as well for the i in parliament. **

Good points about the T, B, and H. And I was thinking of the second I in poinsettia, but the parliament example works. However…

As to C: How is it ascertained that it is the C that is silent in these words and not the S? They use descent as an example of silent C, but that’s obviously not a decent example. Hmmmm. Not being omniscient, the author may be forgiven for not knowing that many English speakers in America pronounce that one using an -sh- sound, thus giving life to the C. And it would seem a person of any knowledge would have to acknowledge that the K is the silent letter, in both the root word and the one with the prefix.

As to D: It was adjudicated above that it is in fact pronounced when followed by J. I’ve tried saying just the J. I’ve tried to just adjust the tongue a little bit. I don’t know, but it feels to my tongue as though I’m just adding an a- in front. The djury’s still out.

19

O – opossum. Dictionary.com says you can pronouce the “o” or not.

20

a - tread
b - comb
c – sick/science/cnidaria
d - ledger
e- kite
f - halfpenny
g - drought
h - honor
i - sundries
j -
k - knife
l - talk
m - mnemonic
n – damn
o - leopard
p- pneumonia
q - Farles Wickens
r – February (the first R is silent in many if not most dialects)
s - isle
t - hustle
u - court
v -
w - two
x - prix
y – If we can use kite for a silent e we can use bay for a silent y.
z - chez