listbeeConsonant teams and blends
Silent letter words
Silent letters are left over from older English, when they were pronounced. Grouping the words by their silent-letter pattern makes them much easier to remember.
- Sound
- Letters you write but do not say
- Usually taught
- 2nd–3rd grade
- Words on this page
- 30 in 4 lists
Silent letter words: word lists
Practice a list online (each word is read aloud), or open it in the worksheet maker to print a test, word search, or look-cover-write-check sheet.
kn words
10 words- knee
- knit
- knot
- know
- knife
- knock
- knob
- knew
- kneel
- knight
How the pattern works
Kn and wr come at the start of a word, and the first letter is silent: knee sounds like “nee,” write sounds like “rite.”
Mb comes at the end, and the b is silent: lamb, thumb, climb.
Saying the word in a “spelling voice,” pronouncing the silent letter on purpose (k-nee, lam-b), helps many children remember it.
Common mistakes
- Leaving out the silent letter: “nee,” “rite,” “lam.”
- Mixing up homophones: know/no, knew/new, knight/night, write/right.
Practice ideas
- Use a spelling voice: say every letter, including the silent one, while writing.
- Make a homophone pair chart: knew/new, knight/night, wrap/rap.
Practicing a list from school?
Paste your child’s exact words to make listening practice and printables in seconds.