LumiraWhat is a silent letter?
Some English words keep a letter that is no longer pronounced, usually for historical reasons. Readers need to recognise the pair on sight so they do not try to sound out a letter that is not there.
kn words (silent k) — word list
Every word below appears in the decodable book on this page, so a reader who practises the list will meet the same words again in context.
- knee
- kneel
- knew
- knife
- knit
- knob
- knock
- knot
- know
- knuckle
Free decodable book: Decodable KN (Silent K)
This is an original Lumira decodable reader, written so that a child can sound out nearly every word using patterns they have already been taught. The full text is below — read it here, or open it in the app to read it together with the words highlighting as you speak.
Mia hit her knee. Leo hit his knee too. It is a knee.
Leo can knock. Mia can knock too. Mia and Leo knock and knock.
Mia can knit. Leo can knit too. Mia and Leo knit and knit.
Leo had a knot. Mia had a knot too. They like it.
Mia and Leo kneel. They know the knot. Leo and Mia know it too.
Knee knife knock knit knot kneel know knew knuckle knob. Mia and Leo like them all.
How to teach it
- Say the sound on its own first, several times, before showing any letters.
- Show the spelling and name it explicitly — tell the reader what it says rather than asking them to work it out.
- Blend two or three words from the list together, out loud, slowly.
- Read the decodable book above, where the pattern repeats in real sentences.
- Come back to it two or three days later. Cumulative review is what makes it stick.
Lessons that practise this pattern
kn (silent k)
Read kn as /n/ — the k is silent