Question

Difficulty: HardSilent Letters

Match each of the following words on the left with the silent consonant letter contained within its standard English pronunciation on the right.

  • ApostleSilent letter 't'
  • PhlegmSilent letter 'g'
  • IndictSilent letter 'c'
  • SubtleSilent letter 'b'

Answer

'Apostle' pairs with 'Silent letter t', 'Phlegm' pairs with 'Silent letter g', 'Indict' pairs with 'Silent letter c', and 'Subtle' pairs with 'Silent letter b'.
Each word contains an unpronounced (silent) consonant letter in standard British English pronunciation (RP): 'apostle' (/əˈpɒs.əl/) contains silent 't', 'phlegm' (/flem/) contains silent 'g', 'indict' (/ɪnˈdaɪt/) contains silent 'c', and 'subtle' (/ˈsʌt.əl/) contains silent 'b'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the phonetic transcription of 'apostle'
The phonetic spelling is /əˈpɒs.əl/, showing that the letter 't' is silent.
Identify the unarticulated consonant sound in 'apostle'.
2
Analyze the phonetic transcription of 'phlegm'
The phonetic spelling is /flem/, showing that the letter 'g' is silent.
Determine which letter is omitted in pronunciation for 'phlegm'.
3
Analyze the phonetic transcription of 'indict'
The phonetic spelling is /ɪnˈdaɪt/, indicating that 'c' is not pronounced.
Identify the unarticulated letter in 'indict'.
4
Analyze the phonetic transcription of 'subtle'
The phonetic spelling is /ˈsʌt.əl/, demonstrating that 'b' is silent.
Match 'subtle' with its unpronounced consonant sound.

Key Concept

Identification of Silent Consonants in Received Pronunciation
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