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Question

Difficulty: MediumSilent Letters

Complete the statement below by identifying the unpronounced consonant letter in each specified word.

Answer:In standard English pronunciation, the silent consonant letter in the word 'whistle' is 【t】, and the silent consonant letter in the word 'diaphragm' is 【g】.

Answer

The silent consonant letter in 'whistle' is 't', and the silent consonant letter in 'diaphragm' is 'g'.
In the word 'whistle', the consonant letter 't' is unarticulated (/ˈwɪs.əl/). In the word 'diaphragm', the consonant letter 'g' is silent before 'm' (/ˈdaɪ.ə.fræm/).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the phonetic structure of the word 'whistle'.
The word 'whistle' is pronounced as /ˈwɪs.əl/, which shows that the letter 't' is not articulated.
In words ending with the pattern '-stle' (such as whistle, castle, and wrestle), the letter 't' remains unpronounced.
2
Analyze the phonetic structure of the word 'diaphragm'.
The word 'diaphragm' is pronounced as /ˈdaɪ.ə.fræm/, showing that the letter 'g' is silent.
In English phonology, when the consonant cluster 'gm' occurs at the end of a word root (such as diaphragm, paradigm, or phlegm), the letter 'g' is silent.

Key Concept

Silent Consonant Identification in Received Pronunciation
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Topics

Silent Letters

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