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Question

Difficulty: HardSilent Letters

In Oral English, several loanwords and Latinate terms contain consonant letters that are entirely omitted in standard Received Pronunciation. Which silent consonant letters complete the phonetic analysis of the target words below?

Answer:In the nobility title 'viscount', the unarticulated consonant letter is 【s】, whereas in the legal verb 'indict', the unarticulated consonant letter is 【c】.

Answer

The silent consonant letter in 'viscount' is 's', and the silent consonant letter in 'indict' is 'c'.
In standard English pronunciation, 'viscount' is pronounced /ˈvaɪkaʊnt/, leaving the letter 's' unpronounced. Similarly, 'indict' is pronounced /ɪnˈdaɪt/, where the letter 'c' is silent due to historical Latinate spelling additions.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the phonetic transcription of 'viscount'
The word 'viscount' is transcribed phonetically as /ˈvaɪkaʊnt/. The letter 's' produces no sound, while 'c' represents the audible /k/ sound.
Comparing orthography with phonetic transcription isolates the silent letter.
2
Analyze the phonetic transcription of 'indict'
The word 'indict' is transcribed phonetically as /ɪnˈdaɪt/. The letter 'c' is completely unpronounced.
Identifying the missing phonetic segment reveals the unarticulated letter.

Key Concept

Silent Consonant Identification in Latinate and French Loanwords
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Topics

Silent Letters

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