English Alphabet and Spelling

4.9

When you speak English, you pronounce about fifty sounds, but the English alphabet has only twenty-six letters. It is difficult for you to read and write in English and it is difficult for English boys and girls too. Some of them do not like to read English books, and when they write, they make many mistakes in spelling.

There are many silent letters in English words. You must write them, but you must not pronounce them when you read.

In these words the letter “e” is silent: plate, time, nose, blue, cake, like, rose, lube.

In these words the letter “h” is silent: what, when, where.

In these words the letter “r” is silent: car, scarf, fork.

In these words the letter “k” is silent: knife, know.

In some words the letter “w” is silent: write, wrong, who.

In some words the two letters ”gh” are silent: night, light, eight.

English spelling has a long history. Many years ago people pronounced the words as they wrote them. But then the pronunciation changed but spelling did not change.

Some people wanted to change the English alphabet. Their plan was to make an alphabet of forty letters, and not to write the silent letters. They did not do it, as they had no money for this change.

Some other English people did not want to change their alphabet.