Chapter: 14. Three Wise Old Women
Language Lab: Exploring Silent Letters
Sometimes in English, we write letters that we don’t actually pronounce when we speak. These are called silent letters. Understanding them helps you read and pronounce words correctly.
A. Understanding Silent ‘L’
Explanation: Look at the words provided: calm, half, chalk, calf, palm. Say each word aloud slowly. Do you hear the ‘l’ sound (like in “light” or “lake”)? You’ll notice that in these words, the ‘l’ is there in the spelling, but we don’t make a sound for it. For example, calm sounds like ‘kahm’, not ‘kal-m’. This often happens when ‘l’ comes before certain consonants like ‘m’, ‘f’, or ‘k’. It’s a common feature in many English words. B. Understanding Silent ‘R’
Explanation: Now, let’s look at dirty, garden, German, careful, bored. In some accents of English (like the standard British accent, which ICSE often follows), the ‘r’ sound can be silent, especially when it comes before another consonant or at the very end of a word. Say these words aloud. Do you distinctly hear the ‘r’ sound, or does it sound softer, or even disappear? For example, dirty might sound more like ‘di-ty’ to some, rather than ‘dir-ty’ with a strong ‘r’ roll. Garden might sound like ‘gah-den’. Keep in mind that whether an ‘r’ is silent can depend on regional accents! In some accents (like many American accents), the ‘r’ is usually pronounced. For this exercise, assume the ‘r’ is silent if it’s not strongly pronounced before a consonant or at the end of a word. C. Work in pairs. Circle the words in which the letter r or l is silent.
The ‘r’ is often silent in non-rhotic accents (like some British accents) before a consonant sound, as in ‘ed-i-tor’. The ‘l’ in ‘salmon’ is silent. It’s pronounced ‘sam-uhn’. The ‘l’ in ‘almond’ is often silent, especially in British English. It’s pronounced ‘ah-muhnd’ or ‘al-muhnd’. The ‘l’ in ‘should’ is silent. It’s pronounced ‘shood’. 
Language Lab - Textbook