One of the most frustrating and interesting things about English is the crazy pronunciation. Silent letters can be particularly difficult. They are there. You can see them. But you don't hear them! 

There are two situations in which B is silent. Silent B at the end of words is one common pattern. If you see -MB at the end of a word, usually you do not pronounce the B. The other common silent B pattern is -BT.

Examples of Silent B Words

Here is a word list with 17 examples of silent B words:

Notice that the silent B doesn't tell us anything about the vowel in the word. The vowel sounds can be very different, for example in bomb, comb, and tomb.

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Why is B Silent Sometimes?

In the past, the B in these words was not silent. Over time, pronunciation changes. For example, bomb comes from the Italian bomba, in which the second B is pronounced, and climb was climban in Old English. By about 1300 C.E., the B had become silent.

More Free English Resources 

Have you read our other posts on English pronunciation?  If not, take a look at Silent K, Silent N, Silent G and Silent L, and Deleted Syllables.