When is the alphabet T silent?

Answer 1

Two main situations

1) The final t in words borrowed from the French - ballet, beret, etc

2) For words ending with -ft or -st(e), the T is pronounced. BUT when an /n/ or /l/ is added (spelled -en and -le) , the T becomes silent. (That's simply because the T was much more difficult to pronounce between these sounds, at least if you didn't have a full vowel to help out.)

Examples:
"oft" and "soft" -- T is pronounced. But in "often" and "soften" the T is silent (though in recent years many have become confused about this in the case of "often" and started pronouncing the T)

Similarly in these pairs the first one pronounces the T, the second, with added suffix, does not:
list -> listen
fast [as in 'held fast/secure'] -> fasten
haste -> hasten
chaste -> chasten
nest -> nestle
wrest -> wrestle
Christ -> christen (cf. "Christmas" in which the /m/, which is very similar to /n/ also makes the T silent)

Other words with this type of ending (and so a 'silent T')
glisten
bristle; gristle; mistletoe; thistle; whistle; epistle (vs. pronounced in "epistolary")
castle; trestle; hustle
jostle; ostler; apostle (vs. pronounced in "apostolic")
___________________

I would not say the T in words like watch, catch, and pitch is silent. It's simply that there is ALREADY a t-sound there (English "ch" most often represents the COMPOUND sound T + SH).

In fact, I believe the SPELLING "tch" came about in order to clearly distinguish the sound (showing that you DID pronounce a T) from French "ch" (pronounced "sh" as in "riche" /reesh/) and perhaps also from German "ch" (pronounced quite differently, like Greek "chi" or the ch at the end of Scottish "loch").

Answer 2

You mean the letter T (not 'the alphabet T'). In English it is silent before 'ch' - e.g. watch, pitch, fetch - and in the words 'often, listen'. Also many words with 'stle' at the end, like 'wrestle, thistle'.
.

Answer 3

Tsunami, Christmas and debut are some words with silent T,

Answer 4

In the ENGLISH pronunciation of foreign words, e.g. French words such as Ballet, valet, beret, and many other foreign words.
In German, though, for instance, the 't' is not silent in most of these words.

Answer 5

It is in french because it is a matter of french pronunciation-final consonants are not pronounced unless followed by a vowl. Did you have a specific example in mind?

Answer 6

jsu t check this site out u will know all

Answer 7

Often. :-)