• 108 words
  • Checked October 2026

Difficult Words to Spell With Silent Letters

Pick a silent letter, then print its twelve words or hear them read aloud as a test.

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The 12 words of this list. Add or change any. For your own list, press Clear first.

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List 1: kn (knee)

Words to learn. Read each word, cover it, write it, then check it.

  1. 1.kneeThe puppy rested its chin on my knee.
  2. 2.knifeA plastic knife came with the picnic set.
  3. 3.knotThe sailor showed us a square knot.
  4. 4.knockI heard a knock on the cabin window.
  5. 5.kneltThe gardener knelt beside the tomato vines.
  6. 6.doorknobThe doorknob was cold in my hand.
  7. 7.knobbyThe old oak had a knobby trunk.
  8. 8.kneelingHe was kneeling beside the garden bed.
  9. 9.knottedThe kite string was badly knotted.
  10. 10.knockingA branch kept knocking against the gutter.
  11. 11.kneepadOne kneepad slipped during the game.
  12. 12.knitwearThe shop sells warm knitwear in winter.

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All 108 words

List 1: kn (knee) 12

  • doorknob The doorknob was cold in my hand.
  • knee The puppy rested its chin on my knee.
  • kneeling He was kneeling beside the garden bed.
  • kneepad One kneepad slipped during the game.
  • knelt The gardener knelt beside the tomato vines.
  • knife A plastic knife came with the picnic set.
  • knitwear The shop sells warm knitwear in winter.
  • knobby The old oak had a knobby trunk.
  • knock I heard a knock on the cabin window.
  • knocking A branch kept knocking against the gutter.
  • knot The sailor showed us a square knot.
  • knotted The kite string was badly knotted.

List 2: wr at the start (wrap) 12

  • wrap Help me wrap this birthday gift.
  • wrapper Put the candy wrapper in the trash.
  • wrestler The wrestler tightened his shoelaces.
  • wrestling The wrestling team practices on blue mats.
  • wrinkly The old elephant had wrinkly skin.
  • wrist The watch felt loose on my wrist.
  • wristband Each runner wore a yellow wristband.
  • write I write a postcard to my cousin each summer.
  • wrong I took the wrong bus this morning.
  • wrongly The package was wrongly addressed.
  • wrung She wrung the mop over the bucket.
  • wry She gave a wry little smile.

List 3: wr inside a word (shipwreck) 12

  • awry The science demo went awry and foamed over.
  • copywriter A copywriter wrote the words for the poster.
  • ghostwriter A ghostwriter helped the pilot write her book.
  • handwriting The label is in my grandfather's handwriting.
  • handwritten I mailed a handwritten thank-you note.
  • overwrite Saving twice will overwrite your first drawing.
  • rewritten The ending was rewritten twice.
  • screenwriter The screenwriter finished the movie script.
  • shipwreck The map marks a shipwreck near the reef.
  • skywriting We watched the skywriting above the fair.
  • typewriter Grandma still has her first typewriter.
  • unwritten The last chapter is still unwritten.

List 4: silent b (lamb) 12

  • climb Goats climb the rocky ledge with ease.
  • climber The climber reached the top by noon.
  • climbing The squirrel is climbing the oak tree.
  • comb I lost my comb at the pool.
  • combed She combed the tangles out of her hair.
  • doubtful The coach looked doubtful about the muddy field.
  • doubtless The lost glove is doubtless in the car.
  • lamb A newborn lamb wobbled across the straw.
  • plumbing The old house needs new plumbing.
  • thumb She held up her thumb to say yes.
  • thumbnail Click the thumbnail to see the big picture.
  • thumbtack A thumbtack holds the poster up.

List 5: gn (gnat, sign) 12

  • alignment The wheels on the bike need alignment.
  • design The quilt has a star design.
  • designer The designer sketched a new coat.
  • foreigner The foreigner asked the way to the station.
  • gnash The wolves in the story gnash their teeth.
  • gnat One tiny gnat circled the fruit bowl.
  • gnaw Our hamster likes to gnaw on cardboard.
  • gnu A gnu grazed on the open plain.
  • realign We had to realign the crooked shelf.
  • redesign The class will redesign the school garden.
  • sign The sign says the park is open.
  • signpost A signpost pointed toward the lake.

List 6: silent gh (eight) 12

  • afterthought He packed a hat as an afterthought.
  • breakthrough The scientist made a breakthrough in the lab.
  • daughter The baker and her daughter sell rolls.
  • eight The clock chimed eight times.
  • granddaughter Her granddaughter visits every summer.
  • heighten Drums heighten the excitement of a parade.
  • paperweight A glass paperweight sat on the desk.
  • sourdough The sourdough starter bubbled in its jar.
  • straighten Please straighten the picture on the wall.
  • thought She thought of a clever riddle.
  • weigh The apples weigh more than the grapes.
  • weighing The vet is weighing the new puppy.

List 7: silent t (castle) 12

  • castle A moat circled the stone castle.
  • fasten I helped him fasten his coat.
  • fastener The fastener on my sandal broke.
  • glistening Dew was glistening on the spiderweb.
  • hasten Dark clouds made us hasten home.
  • hustle The players hustle back after each point.
  • listen Owls listen for mice in the grass.
  • listener A good listener waits for a turn to talk.
  • moisten I moisten the sponge before wiping the board.
  • nestle The kittens nestle against their mother.
  • unfasten I could not unfasten the tiny buckle.
  • whistle A tin whistle hung beside the banjo.

List 8: silent l (walk) 12

  • beanstalk The giant lived at the top of the beanstalk.
  • behalf She spoke on behalf of the whole class.
  • boardwalk We rode bikes along the boardwalk.
  • catwalk The stage crew crossed the narrow catwalk.
  • chalk She drew a hopscotch grid with chalk.
  • crosswalk The guard held a sign at the crosswalk.
  • half Only half the pizza had mushrooms.
  • halfway We stopped halfway up the hill.
  • sleepwalk The sleepy cat seemed to sleepwalk to its bowl.
  • talk Parrots can learn to talk.
  • walk We walk to school when it is sunny.
  • walkway A stone walkway leads to the garden.

List 9: silent h (hour) 12

  • exhausted The exhausted swimmers floated on their backs.
  • exhibition The art exhibition opens on Saturday.
  • ghost He dressed as a ghost for the play.
  • ghostly A ghostly fog drifted over the pond.
  • honest An honest answer earned her a thank-you.
  • honestly She honestly thought the clock was right.
  • honor It was an honor to carry the flag.
  • honorable The judges gave her an honorable mention.
  • hour The movie lasts about an hour.
  • hourly The tower bell rings hourly.
  • rhinestone A rhinestone sparkled on her costume.
  • rhino The rhino cooled off in the mud.

How it works

These are difficult words to spell with silent letters because the ear gives no clue: 108 words in 9 lists, one silent letter or pair to a list, from knee and lamb to afterthought and rhinestone.

Read the full guide

Wr and kn spelling words first

List 1 has the kn words (knee, knot, knelt, doorknob). Lists 2 and 3 are the wr spelling words: wr at the start (wrap, wrist, wrung) and inside a longer word (shipwreck, handwritten, awry). In both pairs the first letter is silent.

Six more lists of spelling words with silent letters

List 4 has silent b (lamb, thumb, doubtful), List 5 gn (gnat, sign, alignment), List 6 gh (eight, daughter, sourdough), List 7 t (castle, listen, moisten), List 8 l (walk, half, crosswalk) and List 9 h (hour, ghost, rhino).

  • Knot and not, wrap and rap, write and right sound the same. The sentence read with each tells them apart.

Questions and answers

Why are the k in knee and the w in write silent?

Both letters were once sounded. English used to say k before n and w before r at the start of a word; the sounds dropped out and the spellings stayed, which is why knot and not now sound the same.

Which words with wr spelling pattern are on the lists?

Twenty-four. List 2 starts with wr: write, wrong, wrap, wrist, wry, wrestler. List 3 hides it inside a longer word: typewriter, unwritten, screenwriter. The w is silent in every one.

Why are often and pestle missing from the silent t list?

The dictionary gives each of them two pronunciations, one with the t sounded and one without, so neither is always a silent letter word. Castle, listen, fasten and the other nine words of List 7 have only the silent t.

Is there a difficult words to spell with silent letters PDF?

Press Print and choose Save as PDF in your browser's print window. The file holds the one list on screen, so save each of the nine lists in turn.

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