silent letter

Core Rule

The "53 Silent Letters" rule highlights how certain letters—especially final silent e—are written but not pronounced. This silent letter reshapes vowel quality, stress, or word identity rather than adding sound.

Articulation Guide

Do not form any mouth shape for the silent letter. Focus airflow and tongue position on the preceding vowel. Long vowels require steady airflow and stable tongue placement.

Word Analysis

• come: silent e prevents confusion with com; the vowel shifts to /ʌ/.
• dense: e is silent but signals a voiceless /s/.
• eclipse: final e is silent, preserving spelling logic and stress pattern.

Pitfall Alerts

Avoid pronouncing every written vowel. Silent letters often serve structural, not phonetic, functions.