# Let's find silent letters **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 16, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628 "2009-08-16T15:59:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/41 "2009-08-17T22:41:31Z")
> [@IAmNotSpartacus](#): > > Would February pass muster? > > For the R, that is. It works for me. Merriam-Webster gives two pronunciations - with and without the r. The former sounds most strange to me. ---
**Author:** ![palindromemordnilap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/db5fbb/32.png) [@palindromemordnilap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palindromemordnilap)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/42 "2009-08-17T22:43:15Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > We haven’t in this thread, but so far the only non-dialectical examples offered for R here or in any of the links have been doubles. Nobody has mentioned ‘February’. Merriam-Webster’s first listed pronunciation is “fe-b(y)wer-ē” ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/43 "2009-08-17T22:46:51Z")
hehe ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/44 "2009-08-18T10:01:16Z")
I think that’s dialectal though, isn’t it? I pronounce the “r” at least (granted, I also pronounce Wednesday more like Wednsday than the more common Wensday so maybe I don’t count). ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/45 "2009-08-20T08:15:03Z")
I would say that your dialect doesn’t count if you are a loner. If know one you ever knew spoke that way, then you made it up. So R is the only one left? Surprise is the only one I can think of, but I’m sure a lot of people say the first R. What we need is a French loanword that ends in (e)r. I was going to suggest bonjour, but, again, I think some people pronounce the R. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/46 "2009-08-20T09:02:06Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > So R is the only one left? Surprise is the only one I can think of, but I’m sure a lot of people say the first R. What we need is a French loanword that ends in (e)r. I was going to suggest bonjour, but, again, I think some people pronounce the R. I bet it ends in -gry! ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/47 "2009-08-20T10:47:12Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > So R is the only one left? I’m good with February. We are missing J, V, X, Y. I looked through the Scrabble dictionary and had hopes for jnana, but the J is sounded. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/48 "2009-08-20T12:11:25Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I was going to suggest bonjour, but, again, I think some people pronounce the R. Yeah, like the French, so there’s no reason someone speaking English shouldn’t pronounce it at the end, since we don’t drop ‘r’ sounds at the end of a word. There’s an old meme that as a general rule the consonants in the word “careful” are pronounced when they end a French word. All other consonants ending words remain silent. (‘M’ and ‘N’ are a bit unique in that they aren’t pronounced as distinct phonetical sounds but as a general nasal sound with open lips. So they’re silent, but they do affect how the word is pronounced.) ‘R’ is a common exception when ending an infinitive in that it is silent, but I can’t offhand think of any French words adopted in English that use a derivative of the infinitive. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/49 "2009-08-20T16:16:15Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > I’m good with February. We are missing J, V, X, Y. I looked through the Scrabble dictionary and had hopes for jnana, but the J is sounded. Rijstaffel for “j” perhaps? Too foreign, I presume? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/50 "2009-08-20T16:54:27Z")
never mind ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/51 "2009-08-20T17:19:06Z")
> [@](#): > > Rijstaffel for “j” perhaps? Too foreign, I presume? Never heard of it. What does it mean? ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/52 "2009-08-20T18:18:55Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Never heard of it. What does it mean? [Rijstaffel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rijstaffel) (from the Dutch for “rice table”) is a buffet-type banquet meal featuring dozens of dishes and several different preparations of rice. It’s based on the varied cuisines of Indonesia (the former Dutch East Indies). ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/53 "2009-08-21T04:44:03Z")
“Energy” possibly for “y”, since you can say “energ” the same way if you wanted to. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/54 "2009-08-21T04:49:25Z")
> [@Jamicat](#): > > “Energy” possibly for “y”, since you can say “energ” the same way if you wanted to. 🆒 Creative (and I do see the smiley). Find me another word ending in “erg” that rhymes with energy and I might consider it. Counter examples: iceberg, erg. ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/55 "2009-08-21T04:49:55Z")
“xylophone” for “x”…since its making a z sound and not an ecks (synergy) ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/56 "2009-08-21T04:55:50Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > Creative (and I do see the smiley). Find me another word ending in “erg” that rhymes with energy and I might consider it. Counter examples: iceberg, erg. (effigy) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/57 "2009-08-21T06:23:49Z")
> [@Jamicat](#): > > “xylophone” for “x”…since its making a z sound and not an ecks. How does that make the “x” silent, though? ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/58 "2009-08-21T18:39:50Z")
> [@Jamicat](#): > > (effigy) I don’t think you understand. I want to see a word ending in “erg” that you would normally pronounce to rhyme with energy or synergy. Only in that way could we regard the final “y” as being silent in your examples. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/59 "2009-08-21T18:46:40Z")
How about “the letter G”? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628/60 "2009-08-21T20:00:01Z")
Surely x is easy: gateaux (or chateaux). Marijuana might work for j (in some pronunciations). Mijnheer also, although the j does lengthen the i. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-find-silent-letters/506628.md?page=4)