In English, some letters are not pronounced in certain words. For example, in words like 'knife', 'knowledge', and 'know', the first letter 'k' is not pronounced. Let us look at a few more such examples.
Silent letters pronunciation practice: In words like 'hymn', 'column', 'autumn', 'solemn' — the letter 'n' is silent when it appears with 'm' at the end of the word.
In words like 'womb', 'tomb', 'bomb', 'climb', 'comb' — the letter 'b' is silent when it appears with 'm'.
Students should practise saying these words aloud, noting that 'hymn' rhymes with 'him', 'column' sounds like 'col-um', 'womb' rhymes with 'room', and 'comb' rhymes with 'home'.
Explanation
This pronunciation exercise teaches students about silent letters in English. The 'n' in words ending with 'mn' and the 'b' in words ending with 'mb' are not pronounced. This is a common feature in English pronunciation.
Solution Steps
The letter 'n' is silent when it appears with 'm' at the end of words (examples: hymn, column, autumn, solemn)
The letter 'b' is silent when it appears with 'm' (examples: womb, tomb, bomb, climb, comb)
Practice pronunciation by noting rhymes: 'hymn' rhymes with 'him', 'column' sounds like 'col-um', 'womb' rhymes with 'room', 'comb' rhymes with 'home'