Silent H

Learning the Silent H
When is H Silent?

1. Silent H After Certain Letters
   C: The H is silent when it follows C in many words.
   Examples: Chorus, Echo, School
   Exception: Words like Chin or Chair where CH is a digraph creates a distinct sound.
   Learn about the digraph CH
   G: The H is silent when it follows G.
   Examples: Ghost, Ghastly, Ghetto
   R: The H is silent when it follows R.
   Examples: Rhyme, Rhinoceros
   

2. Silent H at the Beginning of Words
   In some words, H is silent when it appears at the beginning, often due to French or Latin origins.
   Examples: Hour, Honest, Heir, Honor
   

3. “h” in “gh” combinations:
   “gh” can have multiple pronunciations or be silent. Here are the cases where it’s silent:
   After “i”: high, light, night, right, sight
   After “u” (often with “ough” or “aught”):
   bought, brought, caught, daughter, fought
   Learn about the silent GH
   

The following diagram shows some words with the silent H. Practice saying these words. Scroll down the page for more examples.

 

Because the /h/ sound is a consonant sound, you generally use “a” before words starting with a pronounced “h”:
a house
a hat
a history book
However, if the “h” is silent (as in “hour,” “honest,” “honor”), you use “an”:
an hour
an honest mistake
an honor

When is the letter ‘h’ silent in English?
Rules for Silent Letter H

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Silent h - Phonics

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Silent Letters for Kids

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Silent Letters
Silent B	Silent C	Silent D
Silent E	Silent G	Silent GH
Silent H	Silent K	Silent L
Silent T	Silent W

Learn the Sounds of the Letters

Learning Short Vowels

Short Vowels
Short A	Short E	Short I
Short O	Short U	Short Vowels

Learning Long Vowels

Long Vowels
Long A	Long E	Long I
Long O	Long U	Y (vowel)
Long Vowels	Short, Long Vowels

Compare Short & Long Vowels

Short & Long Vowels
Short & Long A	Short & Long E	Short & Long I
Short & Long O	Short & Long U	Short I & Long E

Learning Consonants

Consonants
Letter B	Hard C	Soft C
Letter D	Letter F	Hard G
Soft G	Letter H	Letter J
Letter K	Letter L	Letter M
Letter N	Letter P	Letter Q
Letter R	Letter S	Letter T
Letter V	Letter W	Letter X
Letter Y	Letter Z	S & Z Sounds

Consonant Blends
BL Sound	CL Sound	FL Sound
GL Sound	PL Sound	SL Sound
BR Sound	CR Sound	DR Sound
FR Sound	GR Sound	PR Sound
TR Sound	SK Sound	SN Sound
SP Sound	ST Sound
3-letter Blends Str, Spr, Scr, Str, Shr, Spl, Thr	Ending Blends Nd, Nt, Nk, St, Ft, Lp, Ld, Lt, Mp, Sk

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