Silent Letters - Learn the Rules and Improve Your English Pronunciation!

不发音的字母 — 学习规则并提高您的英语发音

Hi, I'm Kae.

嗨，我是Kae。

Welcome to Oxford Online English.

欢迎来到Oxford Online English。

In this lesson, you can learn about silent letters in English.

在本节课里，您可以学到 英语里不发音的字母。

Think about words like know, climb, or answer.

想想单词像是know、climb或answer。

They all have silent letters: letters which are written, but not pronounced.

它们都有不发音的字母：有写出来， 但是不发音的字母。

Do you know which letters are silent in these three words?

您知道在这三个单词里哪些 是不发音的字母吗？

In this lesson, you’ll learn more about silent letters, so that your English pronunciation

在本节课里，您会学到更多与不发音 字母有关的，所以您的英语

can be clear and correct!

发音可以是清晰并正确的！

Right, so do you know any words which start with a silent letter?

好了，那么您知道以一个不发音的 字母开头的任何单词吗？

You should; there was one in the question I just asked you!

您应当知道；在我刚刚问 您的问题里就有一个！

The word know starts with a silent letter: you say /nəʊ/ and not /knəʊ/.

单词“know”以一个不发音的字母 开头：您说/nəʊ/，而不是/knəʊ/。

There are other words like this, which start with ‘kn’, but the ‘k’ is not pronounced.

有其他的像这样的单词，以“kn” 开头，但是，“k"是不发音的。

Can you think of any?

您可以想到任何一个吗？

Other examples are knee, knife, or knock.

其他的例子像是”knee“、 ”knife“或“knock”。

Another common silent letter at the start of a word is ‘h’.

在单词开头不发音的其他 常见字母是“h”。

You can see this in words like hour or honest.

您可以在单词“hour”或 “honest”看到这个。

Finally, what do you call a doctor who treats mental illnesses?

最后，您怎样称呼一位治疗 精神疾病的医生？

This doctor is a psychiatrist.

医生是一位“psychiatrist”。

In words like psychiatrist, which begin with ‘ps’, the ‘p’ is silent.

在单词像是“psychiatrist”，以“ps” 开头，“p”是不发音的。

These words are often more academic words.

这些单词常常是很学术的单词。

For example: psychology or pseudonym.

例如： psychology或pseudonym。

There aren’t so many everyday words starting with ‘ps’.

日常用单词没有太多是 用“ps”开头的。

So now you know three ways a word can start with a silent letter:

所以，现在您知道一个单词以一个不 发音的字母开头的三种方式：

'kn', like know, knee, knife, or knock 'h', like honest or hour

“kn”、像是“know”、“knee”、“knife”或者 “knock”；“h”，像是“honest”或

'ps', like psychiatrist, psychology or pseudonym

“hour”；“ps”，像是“psychiatrist”、 “psychology”或“pseudonym”。

You can also find silent letters in the middle of a word.

您也可以在一个单词的中间 找到不发音的字母。

Here, there are many letters which can be silent.

在这里，有很多可以 不发音的字母。

Let’s do a test.

我们来做一个测验。

I’m going to show you five words.

我会展示给您五个单词。

Can you find the silent letters?

您可以找到不发音的字母吗？

Do you know the answers?

您知道答案吗？

Let’s look together.

我们一起来看看。

The ‘b’ in debt is silent: /det/.

“debt”里的“b”是不发音的：/det/。

The ‘i’ in business is silent: /’bɪznəs/.

“business”里的“i”是不发音的：/’bɪznəs/。

This is unusual, because normally, silent letters are consonants.

这是不常见的，因为正常来说， 不发音的字母是辅音字母。

However, vowels can sometimes be silent, too.

然而，元音字母有时也可以是不发音的。

The ‘l’ in half is silent: /hɑːf/.

”half“里的”l“是不发音的：/hɑːf/。

The ‘p’ in receipt is silent: /rə’siːt/.

”receipt“里的”p“是不发音的：/rə’siːt/。

And lastly, the ‘w’ in answer is silent: /’ɑnsə/.

最后，”answer“里的”w“是 不发音的：/’ɑnsə/。

Did you get the right answers?

您答对了吗？

You can see that many different letters can be silent, and that silent letters can be

您能看到很多不同的字母可以是 不发音的，以及不发音的字母

anywhere in the word.

可以在单词的任何位置。

So how do you know if a letter is silent or not?

所以您怎么知道一个字母 是不发音的，或不是？

With silent letters in the middle of a word, there really aren’t any rules.

有不发音字母在单词的中间 位置的，真的没有任何规则。

The best way is to write down the words with phonetics.

最好的方式是写下单词的语音音标。

English spelling is not logical at all.

英语拼写根本没有逻辑。

Using phonetics to write down vocabulary will help you remember the correct pronunciation.

使用语音音标来写下词汇会 帮助您记得正确的发音。

For example, if you look at the word answer, you might try to read the ‘w’.

例如，如果您看单词“answer”，您 可能要试着读“w”。

But if you use the phonetics, you can see that there’s no /w/ sound: /’ɑːnsə/.

但是，如果您使用语音音标，您可以 看到没有/w/声：/’ɑːnsə/。

Let’s do some more practice.

我们多做一些练习、

Look at five more words.

多看五个单词。

Can you find the silent letters?

您可以找到不发音的字母吗？

Muscle, should, island, guitar, sword.

“Muscle”、“should”、“island”、 “guitar”、“sword”。

So now, you’ve seen many of the common English words which have a silent letter in the middle.

所以，现在，您看到了很多常见的在中间 有一个不发音的英语单词。

You can also find silent letters at the end of a word.

您也在一个单词末看到 不发音的字母。

Here, things are a bit more regular; there are patterns you can find.

在这里，事情是有点规律的； 有您可以找到的结构。

What’s this?

这是什么？

Is it my /θʌm/ or my /θʌmb/?

那是我的/θʌm/或我的/θʌmb/？

It’s my thumb.

那是我的“thumb”。

The ‘b’ is silent.

“b”是不发音的。

In other words ending –mb, the ‘b’ is also silent: climb, limb, bomb.

在其他的单词结尾 – mb，“b”也是 不发音的：climb、limb、bomb。

There are also a few words ending –mn, and the ‘n’ is silent, like autumn or damn.

也有几个单词以 –mn结尾的， “n”是不发音的，像是“autumn”或“damn”。

Finally, there are also some French words which are used in English, like ballet, buffet

最后，也有一些用在英语里的 法语单词，像是“ballet”、

or gourmet.

“buffet”或者“gourmet”。

With these words, you use the French pronunciation, so you say /bæ’leɪ/ and not /’bælət/.

就这些单词，您使用法语发音，所以 您说/bæ’leɪ/，而不是/’bælət/。

What about words like rate, site, or cope?

那像是“rate”、“site”或“cope”的单词呢？

Those end with a silent ‘e’, right?

那些结尾带有一个不发音的“e”，对吗？

Yes and no.

是，也不是。

Sometimes, the line between a silent letter and a non-silent letter can be hard to draw.

有时，一个不发音字母和一个非不发音 字母之间的区隔线是很难画的。

This isn’t always true: think about the word autumn.

不是总是对的：想想单词“autumn”。

The ‘n’ is completely silent.

“n”是完全不发音的。

You could take it away and you would still pronounce the word the same way.

您可以拿掉它。您仍然用同样的 方式发单词的音。

Now, think about the word site.

现在，考虑单词“site”。

You might say that the ‘e’ is silent.

您可能说“e”是不发音的。

However, if the ‘e’ wasn’t there, you would pronounce the word /sɪt/, as in ‘sit

然而，如果“e”不在那里，您 要发单词音为/sɪt/，

down’.

就像在“sit down”。

So sometimes, silent letters aren’t completely silent.

所以，有时候，不发音的字母 不是完全不发音的。

‘Silent’ letters can change the pronunciation of a word, even if you don’t pronounce the

“Silent”字母可以改变单词的发音， 即使您不发字母

letter itself.

自身的音。

Look at five pairs of words, and think about how the ‘e’ on the end changes the pronunciation.

看五对单词，考虑 在结尾的“e”改变发音。

Let’s read the words together:

我们一起来念单词：

win/wine us/use

win/wine us/use

cop/cope her/here

cop/cope her/here

rat/rate

rat/rate

You can see that adding ‘e’ to the end of a word makes a big difference to the pronunciation,

您能看到在单词的结尾添加“e” 造成发音的一个大差别，

even if you don’t actually pronounce it.

即使您实际上不发音。

Sometimes, silent letters can make an even bigger difference to the pronunciation of

有时，不发音字母甚至可以对 一个单词的发音造成

a word.

比较大的差别。

You saw before that most silent letters are consonants, but that vowels can be silent

之前，您看到大部分不发音的字母是 辅音字母，但是，元音字母

letters, too.

也可以是不发音的字母。

Sometimes, a vowel can be silent and this can mean that a word ‘loses’ a syllable.

有时，一个元音字母可以是不发音的， 这意味着一个单词“loses”了一个音节。

An example?

一个例子？

Take the word restaurant.

拿单词“restaurant”。

It’s written with three syllables: /res – tə - rɒnt/.

那是写的三个音节：/res – tə - rɒnt/.

However, in spoken English, it usually has two syllables: /’restrɒnt/.

然而，在英语口语，它通常 有两个音节：/’restrɒnt/。

This is a special case, because these letters aren’t necessarily silent.

这是一个特定的例子，因为这些字母 不必是不发音字母。

You could say restaurant with three syllables: /’restərɒnt/.

您可以说“restaurant”有三个音节： /’restərɒnt/.

However, most native speakers wouldn’t pronounce the word like this.

然而，大部分的母语人士 不会像这样念单词。

Can you think of any more examples like this?

您可以想到任何更多的 像这样的例子吗？

Let’s practise.

我们来练习一下。

Here are five words.

这里是五个单词。

Each word has one ‘silent’ syllable.

每一个单词有一个“silent”音节。

Which syllable might not be pronounced?

哪一个音节可能不发音？

Pause the video and think about your answers if you want!

如果您想，暂停视屏， 并考虑您的答案！

Let’s look together:

我们一起看一下：

In comfortable, the ‘or’ can be dropped: /’kʌmftəbəl/.

在“comfortable”里，“or”可以被忽略： /’kʌmftəbəl/。

In chocolate, the ‘o’ can be dropped: /’tʃɒklət/.

在“chocolate”里，“o”可以被忽略： /’tʃɒklət/。

In different, the first ‘e’ can be dropped: /’dɪfrənt/.

在“different”里，第一个“e”可以被忽略： /’dɪfrənt/。

In camera, the ‘e’ can be dropped: /’kæmrə/.

在“camera”里，“e”可以被忽略：/’kæmrə/。

And in vegetable, you can drop the second ‘e’: /’vedʒtəbəl/

在“vegetable”里，您可以忽略 第二个“e”：/’vedʒtəbəl/。

Remember that in all of these words, the letters aren’t necessarily silent.

记住在所有这些单词里，字母 不必是不发音的字母。

Some native speakers pronounce all of the syllables in these words.

一些母语人士在这些单词里的 所有音节都发音。

However, it’s more common to reduce these words and make them as short as you can.

然而，更常见的是减短这些单词， 尽您所能让它们短。

Reducing the words by dropping syllables also makes them shorter and easier to say.

通过忽略音节减短单词也会让 它们更短并更容易念。

This can help you to speak more fluently!

这可以帮助您讲得更流利！

Let’s review the words one more time:

我们来再复习单词一次：

comfortable chocolate

comfortable chocolate

different camera

different camera

vegetable

vegetable

You might be thinking: how do I know which words have silent syllables?

您也许要考虑：我怎么知道 哪一些单词有不发音音节？

How can I check?

我要怎么查？

Good questions: like many points with silent letters, there aren’t exactly rules you

好问题：像是不发音字母的很多 重点，没有您可以追随的

can follow.

确切规则。

However, you can check whether a word has silent syllables or not.

然而，您可以查一个单词是否 有一个不发音的音节。

Look the word up in a dictionary.

在字典里查一下这个单词。

Look at the phonetic transcription, next to the word.

看紧挨着单词的音标转录。

A good dictionary will show you all the possible pronunciations of the word, including whether

一本好的字典会展示给您所有 可能的单词发音，包括任何

any syllables can be dropped.

音标是否可以忽略。

So now you’ve seen how letters can be silent.

所以，现在您看到了字母 是怎样不发音的。

You’ve learned about common patterns with silent letters, and you’ve seen how silent

您学到了有不发音字母的常见 结构，您看到了不发音字母

letters can change the pronunciation of a word.

能够怎样改变单词的发音。

You can practice this topic more on our website where there's a quiz to help you review what

您可以在我们的网站上多练习 这个主题，那里有一个

you've learned in this lesson.

随堂测验，来帮您复习在本节 课程里学到的东西。

There are also many other great free English lessons.

也有很多其他很棒的 免费英语课程。

Thanks for watching.

感谢观看！

See you next time!

下次见！