Which of the following words has a silent letter in it?

Question

Accepted Answer

Here's a detailed explanation for the given question:

**Correct Answer: Option 2 (Calm)**

**Explanation for Option 2 (Calm):**
The word "Calm" (pronounced /kɑːm/) contains a silent letter. The letter 'l' in "Calm" is written but not pronounced. This is a common feature in English words where 'l' is often silent when it appears before 'm', 'f', 'k', or 'd' in certain contexts (e.g., palm, half, walk, could). Therefore, "Calm" perfectly fits the definition of a word with a silent letter.

**Explanation for why other options are incorrect:**

*   **Option 1 (Cure):** In the word "Cure" (pronounced /kjʊər/), all the letters are pronounced. The 'e' at the end is not silent; it serves to make the 'u' a long vowel sound. If the 'e' were removed, the word would be "Cur" (pronounced /kɜːr/), which has a different sound and meaning. Thus, no letter in "Cure" is silent.

*   **Option 3 (Fawn):** In the word "Fawn" (pronounced /fɔːn/), all the letters contribute to the pronunciation. The 'w' is not a silent letter in this context. Instead, 'aw' forms a digraph that produces the /ɔː/ vowel sound. The 'w' is an integral part of creating this specific vowel sound, rather than being unpronounced. If the 'w' were silent, the word would sound like "Fan" (/fæn/), which is incorrect.

*   **Option 4 (But):** In the word "But" (pronounced /bʌt/), every letter is clearly pronounced. There are no silent letters in this word. Each letter contributes directly to the sound of the word.