Silent L

Learning the Silent L
Learning about the silent “l” in English words can be a bit tricky, as there isn’t one single, perfect rule, but there are some helpful patterns.

Common Situations Where “l” is Silent:

1. “l” after “a” and before “m”:
   Examples: calm, palm, psalm, balm
   
2. “l” after “a” and before “f” or “v”:
   Examples: calf, half, halves
   
3. “l” after “a” and before “k”:
   Examples: walk, talk, chalk
   
4. “l” after “ou” and before “d”:
   Examples: could, should, would
   
5. In the word “salmon”: This is a somewhat irregular case.

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

 

When is the Letter ‘L’ Silent in English?
Words and Rules for Silent Letter L

• Show Video

Silent L - Phonics

• Show Video

Words with Silent Letter L

• Show Video

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

Check out our most popular games!
Fraction Concoction	Fact Family Game	Number Bond Garden
Online Addition Subtraction Game	Penguin Solitaire	Sawayama Solitaire
Ark Solitaire	Eldritch Invasion	Shenzhen Solitaire

Check out more Solitaire games here.

We welcome your feedback, comments and questions about this site or page. Please submit your feedback or enquiries via our Feedback page.