A carnival water-squirter letter A sound game where kindergarten kids squirt the targets with the short a and long a sounds, from apple and acorn to cat and cake. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.
This Silent Letters Worksheet helps 3rd graders find and write the quiet letters in words like comb, knee, and ghost. Includes a complete answer key, perfect for no-prep phonics practice at home or in class.
This short and long vowel a CVCe activity gives 1st and 2nd grade readers 24 word cards for a silent e matching game, a sort mat and a practice page. Answer key included.
This Silent Letters H W K Worksheet has 2nd graders name the quiet letter in six words, then finish four sentences from a word bank. Answer key included, so tricky kn-, wr- and silent-h words stop slowing readers down.
This missing silent letters worksheet helps 2nd grade students finish words with k, w, and b and use silent letter words in sentences. An answer key is included for easy checking.
This Silent Letters Detective Worksheet has 3rd graders sort words by their silent k, w or b and solve word clues, with an answer key included for quick checking and stronger spelling.
This short and long vowel i CVCe activity gives 1st and 2nd grade readers 24 word cards for a silent e matching game, a sort mat and a practice page. Answer key included.
This CVC E Worksheet - Adding has 1st grade students add a silent e to eight short-vowel words and take it back off five more, with an answer key that makes checking quick.
This Silent Letters B T L Worksheet has 2nd grade students finish four sentences from a word bank, then sort six words into silent b, t, and l columns. Answer key included for fast, no-prep phonics practice.
Using this Silent Night Silent Letters Activity, students identify and decode silent letter patterns in order to build reading accuracy and fluency.
Build ice cream words in this silent e sundaes activity for 1st and 2nd grade. Children add a silent e to scoop words, check the fold, and practice on a worksheet. Answer key included.
This Quiet Letters Working Worksheet asks 3rd graders to spot the silent letter in eight everyday words and respell each one correctly. An answer key is included, so spelling practice takes no prep.
This Silent Vowel E Lesson Plan includes an entire lesson that teaches all about the short vowel a. This lesson plan will make your job easy!
This Circling CVC E Words Worksheet asks 1st graders to pick the CVC or silent e word that finishes each sentence, then build three new words. An answer key is included, so phonics practice takes no prep.
Letters you see but never hear
Kids learn that some letters are written but not heard. The first and most important one is silent e: it makes the vowel say its name, so cap becomes cape. Later, kids meet silent letter pairs like kn (knee), wr (write), mb (lamb), gh (night) and silent h, t and l in words like hour, listen and walk. Many of these come from old spellings that used to be spoken. The click moment is when a child sees "kn" and reads "knot" without even trying the k.
Silent letters follow patterns more than kids expect. These moves help them find the patterns.
Teach silent letter pairs in small groups: kn, wr and wh one week, then mb and lk. Kids read a list, underline the silent letter and say the word. Focusing on one pattern helps kids spot it in new words.
Why it works: teaching letter sounds directly and in order is one of the best-supported findings in reading research (National Reading Panel, 2000).
Try it withSilent Letters H W K WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →Write "kit" on the board, then add an e and read "kite" with big surprise. Do it with tap, cub and pin. Model the rule out loud: the e is quiet, but it makes the vowel say its name.
Why it works: showing first, practicing together, then letting kids try alone is the "gradual release" model teachers have relied on for decades (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).
Try it withSilent Vowel E Lesson PlanLesson PlansOpen it →Kids add a silent e "cherry" on top of short vowel words to make new long vowel words. Read both versions out loud. A sweet theme turns a tricky rule into a treat.
Why it works: playful practice with a clear goal keeps kids practicing longer, and simple learning games have been shown to build real skills (Ramani and Siegler, 2008).
Try it withSilent E Sundaes ActivityActivitiesOpen it →Silent letter games that make kids true word detectives.
WorksheetsKids hunt for the letter that's hiding in plain sight in every word and circle it.
Open Silent Letters Detective Worksheet →
WorksheetsAdd the missing silent letter to finish each word, then read it aloud.
Open Missing Silent Letters Worksheet →
ActivitiesA cozy holiday activity full of silent letter words to read and sort.
Open Silent Night Silent Letters Activity →Teacher favorites right now: Letter A Sound Game, Silent Letters Worksheet and Short and Long Vowel A CVCe Activity.
Silent letters are letters in a word that you don't pronounce, like the k in "knee" or the b in "lamb." Some, like silent e, change how other letters sound.
Silent e is usually taught in late kindergarten or 1st grade. Silent letter pairs like kn, wr and mb are typically taught in 2nd and 3rd grade.
Silent e at the end of words, kn (knife), wr (write), mb (thumb), gh (light), wh (whale) and silent t in words like listen. Learning these patterns covers most silent letter words.
Many were once pronounced hundreds of years ago, but the way people spoke changed while the spelling stayed the same. Some also came from other languages.
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