The silent g

Sometimes a word has a letter that we write but do not say. We call it a silent letter. On page 130 of your book, Santoor, read the word 'design' aloud. We say 'di-zine'. The 'g' is silent!

Your book then gives more words. The 'g' is silent in sign, light, night and high. Say them: sine, lite, nite, hi. We do not hear any 'g'.

But in goat, sugar and magnet, we do hear the 'g': g-oat, su-gar, mag-net. And in sing and king, the 'g' joins with 'n' to make the 'ng' sound at the end: si-ng, ki-ng. So the 'g' is not silent there either.

To check, say the word slowly and listen. If you cannot hear the 'g' at all, it is silent.