The silent letter W appears in many common English words, especially at the beginning. You see the W in spelling, but you don’t hear it in pronunciation, like in write, wrist, or answer. In this article, you’ll learn the rules, patterns, and examples to recognize and pronounce silent W correctly.
What Is a Silent W?
A silent W is the letter W that appears in spelling but is not pronounced when speaking. This usually happens when W comes before certain consonants like R or H.
For example:
-
write → /raɪt/ (not /wraɪt/)
-
wrist → /rɪst/
-
answer → /ˈænsər/
-
two → /tuː/
Common Rules for Silent W
Here are the main patterns where W is silent:
1. Silent W in “WR-” Words
When a word begins with WR, the W is not pronounced.
Examples:
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| write | /raɪt/ |
| wrong | /rɒŋ/ or /rɔːŋ/ (AmE) |
| wrist | /rɪst/ |
| wrap | /ræp/ |
| wreck | /rɛk/ |
| wrinkle | /ˈrɪŋkəl/ |
| wring | /rɪŋ/ |
| wrath | /ræθ/ or /rɔːθ/ |
| wren | /rɛn/ |
| wriggle | /ˈrɪɡəl/ |
2. Silent W in Some “WH-” Words
In a few WH- words, the W is silent and only the H + vowel sound is pronounced.
Examples:
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| who | /huː/ |
| whose | /huːz/ |
| whole | /hoʊl/ (BrE: /həʊl/) |
| whom | /huːm/ |
(But in words like what, where, when, and why, the W is pronounced.)
3. Silent W in Common Middle or Final Positions
Some words have a silent W even though it appears in the middle or before a consonant.
Examples:
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| answer | /ˈænsər/ |
| sword | /sɔːrd/ (BrE: /sɔːd/) |
| two | /tuː/ |
| towards (BrE) | /təˈwɔːdz/ — the W is not pronounced |
| sew | /soʊ/ (BrE: /səʊ/) |
4. Silent W in Loanwords and Place Names
Some words borrowed from French or traditional English place names include a silent W.
🔹 French or Historical Origins
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| rendezvous | /ˈrɒndeɪvuː/ (AmE: /ˈrɑːndeɪvuː/) |
| deux | /døː/ or /dø/ |
| playwright | /ˈpleɪraɪt/ |
| surer | /ˈʃʊərər/ or /ˈʃʊrər/ |
🔹 Irregular Place Names
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| Greenwich | /ˈɡrɛnɪtʃ/ or /ˈɡrɪnɪdʒ/ |
| Worcester | /ˈwʊstər/ or /ˈwʊstə/ |
| Warwick | /ˈwɒrɪk/ or /ˈwɔːrɪk/ |
| Gloucester | /ˈɡlɒstər/ or /ˈɡlɑːstər/ |
Full List of Words with Silent “W”
| Word | IPA | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| write | /raɪt/ | Please write your name at the top. |
| writer | /ˈraɪtə(r)/ | She dreams of becoming a famous writer. |
| written | /ˈrɪtən/ | The letter was written yesterday. |
| wrote | /rəʊt/ | He wrote a message on the board. |
| wrist | /rɪst/ | She wore a watch on her wrist. |
| wreck | /rɛk/ | The car was damaged in the wreck. |
| wrong | /rɒŋ/ | Something feels wrong about this plan. |
| wrap | /ræp/ | Please wrap the gift with ribbon. |
| wrapped | /ræpt/ | The presents were nicely wrapped. |
| wrapper | /ˈræpə(r)/ | She threw the candy wrapper away. |
| wring | /rɪŋ/ | Don’t wring the wet clothes too hard. |
| wrung | /rʌŋ/ | He wrung the towel to dry it. |
| wriggle | /ˈrɪɡəl/ | The child began to wriggle in his seat. |
| wrangle | /ˈræŋɡəl/ | The lawyers began to wrangle over the case. |
| wristwatch | /ˈrɪstwɒtʃ/ | His wristwatch stopped working. |
| wren | /rɛn/ | A wren built a nest by the window. |
| wrack | /ræk/ | Stress can wrack your nerves. |
| wrath | /rɔːθ/ | He feared the king’s wrath. |
| wretch | /rɛtʃ/ | The poor wretch had nowhere to go. |
| wretched | /ˈrɛtʃɪd/ | She felt wretched after the argument. |
| wreak | /riːk/ | The storm will wreak havoc tonight. |
| wreath | /riːθ/ | She hung a wreath on the door. |
| wreckage | /ˈrɛkɪdʒ/ | The wreckage was hard to clear. |
| wrench | /rɛntʃ/ | He used a wrench to fix the pipe. |
| wrestle | /ˈrɛsəl/ | The boys like to wrestle for fun. |
| wrestler | /ˈrɛslər/ | He trained to become a wrestler. |
| wrestling | /ˈrɛslɪŋ/ | They watched a wrestling match. |
| wrinkled | /ˈrɪŋkəld/ | His shirt was badly wrinkled. |
| wrinkle | /ˈrɪŋkəl/ | She ironed out every wrinkle. |
| wristband | /ˈrɪstbænd/ | He wore a red wristband for support. |
| wristlock | /ˈrɪstlɒk/ | The fighter used a wristlock to pin him. |
| wrought | /rɔːt/ | The decision wrought major changes. |
| wronged | /rɒŋd/ | She felt deeply wronged. |
| wrongly | /ˈrɒŋli/ | He was wrongly accused. |
| wringer | /ˈrɪŋər/ | He put the cloth through the wringer. |
| wry | /raɪ/ | She gave a wry smile. |
| sword | /sɔːrd/ | The knight carried a heavy sword. |
| answer | /ˈænsər/ | Can you answer the phone? |
| answers | /ˈænsərz/ | He checked the answers twice. |
| answerable | /ˈænsərəbl/ | You are answerable for your actions. |
| two | /tuː/ | They have two children. |
| toward (BrE) | /təˈwɔːd/ | She walked toward the gate. |
| whole | /həʊl/ | She ate the whole cake. |
| who | /huː/ | Do you know who called? |
| whom | /huːm/ | To whom did you speak? |
| whose | /huːz/ | Do you know whose bag this is? |
Practice Activities
Reading Passage
Listen to the audio and read the passage out loud to practice. Pay close attention to the words that contain a silent W. Try to repeat the pronunciation naturally, without saying the W sound.
“John forgot to write the date on his paper, so the teacher asked him to fix it. While moving a box, he twisted his wrist and had to rest. Later, his brother helped him wrap a sword he bought as a gift. Only two people knew about the surprise, and neither of them spoke a word.”