why do we have silent letters in words - why don't we just remove them?

Answer 1

people hate change

Answer 2

All of those answers so far are nice.

However, most are wrong, or only partially correct. The real reason we have silent letters is etymology. Words have developed over time from other languages. Someone did not just sit down one day and assign arbitrary sounds to English words, and decide to fool people by plaving random k's in front of n's and other sorts of seemingly random 'silent' letters.

As words develop and change over time, their pronunciation changes because of everyday use, as the average English user tries to find short cuts in pronuciation. However, the spelling does not change as the word changes, and eventually words may sound completely different than how they look.

Example: colonel and kernel.

Answer 3

Old English was 90% phonemic (words sound the same as they look). But from the beginning of the 15th century, we began to borrow words from other languages. Because grammar and usage rules are different in other languages, adopted words did not follow the rules of English pronunciation.
American english has done the removal of silent letters. Or they just pronounce them.

Answer 4

The words wouldn't be the same. The silent letters help to shape a word and give it it's sound.


tombassplayer- because they SHAPE the word. It's slightly abstract but just think about it. The silent letters can dictate how the letter preceeding or succeeding it is pronounced therefore giving the overall word shape and producing its sound.

You've almost said this yourself.

Answer 5

They'll be removed eventually. In fact, in American English, many already have. Words, that contain ae, like paediatrician, haemotology, gynaecology etc, are mostly spelt without the 'a'. Then without me looking they took the 'h' out of yoghurt, the 'ugh' out of doughnut. I'm sure there's more. But everytime a new edition of the dictionary goes into print, other words shed letters. It's only a matter of time...

Answer 6

Because the words may have changed pronunciation over time, but the spellings may not have kept up.

Sorry, but those words will most likely not lose their silent letters anytime soon.

Answer 7

in a way we need them for words such as;
know
if u remove the silent K you get
now
which has a total diffrent meaning

but i dont know y we have them for words like :
gnome
knife



oh yhea and skull if they are silent how do they give it sound???

Answer 8

I don't know but if i ever become president..that would be order number one no more silent letters...who's with me..that is one executive order i would like to see the president use..english teachers everywhere would be irrate and speeling bees would be alot easier

Answer 9

we have silent letters in words because some are vowels and u HAVE to have a vowel in a word. its kinda like having two of the same constanents next to eachother like ladder with out the d it would be lader and u kinda say it like later well i think im rite

Answer 10

Easy, if you remove them, then you are a suspect of the CIA.

You see (theoretically of course),if you remove them, then language everywhere might become easier for all to learn, eventually allowing swift and easy exchange of ideas and education; faster commerce that's more fair; poor people becoming richer and rich people becoming poorer until:

Everyone just gets along!


SInce we'll be having none of that-- please consider the question closed...

Happy researching! :)

Answer 11

It's because a zillion years ago stuff like kn or single e's at the end of words were pronounced.