Do you pronounce the B in dumb?

The rule is simple: if a word ends in the letters mb, the b is silent. I already told you the word climb. Some others are thumb, comb, crumb, lamb, limb, bomb, and dumb.

People also ask, is B silent in plumber?

Plumber comes from plumb, meaning 'lead', as in the metal, from Latin 'plumbum'. So you have a word with a nearly silent 'b' and you make another word out of it, meaning a person who works with the metal, so you pronounce that like you pronounce 'plumb' and get 'plum[b]er.

Also Know, why is there a silent b in lamb? What is the origin of the silent 'b' at the end of English words such as lamb, comb, crumb and bomb? WE OWE the silent 'b' to the fact that centuries ago our ancestors pronounced a b-sound: climb was Old English climban, and bomb comes from Italian bomba. The b-sound was lost by about 1300.

Beside this, is B Silent in subtle?

The first interesting thing about the pronunciation of the word subtle is that silent b in the middle of the word, s-u-b-t-l-e. They report that the letter b was added to the word subtle because of confusion with another word, subtile, which we got from the Old French word, subtil.

Is the B silent in obviously?

The ''b'' in ''obvious'' is also silent.

36 Related Question Answers Found

Is P silent in empty?

The "p" in "empty" is well on the way to the same fate. The b in thumb is silent, and - appeal to authority - according to Daniel Jones' English Pronouncing Dictionary - it is also silent in thumbed.

Is B silent in number?

The rule is simple: if a word ends in the letters mb, the b is silent. Lets look at some examples. Remember, the silent b in the mb spelling rule is just for the end of the word, so don't start skipping the b in words like number, combine, or remember.

Is B silent in debt?

The "b" is silent. In much the same way the "p" is silent in words like "receipt". Indeed, the 'B' is silent in both words. Debt and Doubt are both words borrowed from Old French, originally as 'dete' and 'douter', which in turn descended from the Latin 'debita' and 'debitare'.

Which word has a silent b?

B. Most silent b's come at the ends of words and just after m: bomb, climb, comb, crumb, dumb, lamb, limb, numb, plumb, thumb, tomb.

What word has a silent A?

Silent letters from A to Z

C - acquire, acquit, blackguard, connecticut, czar, muscle, scissors, victual.
D - handkerchief, Wednesday Wednesday (commonly said Wens-day)
E - plaque.
F - halfpenny.
G - align, alight, champagne, diaphragm, gnash, gnaw, high, light,reign, though.
I - business, parliament.
M - mnemonic.

Why S is silent in Island?

Originally Answered: Why is 'S' silent in 'Island'? The spelling of the word iland was modified to the present spelling, island because of an etymological association of this word with Old French word isle. But, wikipedia says that this association i.e. iland or igland with isle was incorrect.

Why K is silent in knee?

So, these words beginning with 'k' were pronounced with sound of k followed by 'n'. For example, knee was cnéo. But this was common to the Germanic languages and most of them still pronounce k. It is the English language which dropped off k mainly due to difficulty in pronouncing the kn- sound.

Why is B silent in plumber?

The word plumber originates from the Old-French word plummier. As you can see, the loanword plummier has no b in it. The written b was added during the the renaissance when intellectuals realized that the French word was itself derived from the Latin plumbarius which has a b.

Why is B silent in doubt?

Instead, they wanted to align the spelling of words with their etymological roots. So they tossed a silent “b” into the word, coupling it with the “t.” “Doute,” therefore, became “doubt” (and let's not deal with where that silent “e” went).

How do you say the word subtle?

The word is pronounced like "suttle" and it was originally spelled that way when it was borrowed from Old French, but the b got imported to make the word look more like its ultimate source, the Latin adjective subtilis. If you try to pronounce the b, your ignorance of how to say the word properly won't be very subtle!

Is Suttle a word?

what does "suttle" mean? "Suttle” is a common misspelling of the word subtle, which variously means “faint,” “delicate in meaning,” “slight,” and “cunning.” It's not too surprising people commonly misspell subtle as “suttle”: we don't pronounce the B in this word.

How do you use the word subtle?

subtle Sentence Examples

It was a subtle shade of gray.
Xander saw the subtle signal Damian gave his brother.
Everything in the room radiated some sort of subtle energy, and she waded through the energies, marveling and confused by them.
There were subtle differences between the parties regarding living wills.
The dish was subtle in flavor.

What is being subtle?

Being subtle is the act of conveying something in a skillful or clever way versus in a direct manner. It's truly an art form and one that is not easily mastered. The biggest reason being subtle is a challenge is because you have to know when you've succeeded.

What does it mean when a person is subtle?

adjective, sub·tler, sub·tlest.

fine or delicate in meaning or intent; difficult to perceive or understand: subtle irony. delicate or faint and mysterious: a subtle smile. characterized by mental acuteness or penetration: a subtle understanding.

What is subtle behavior?

(of a person or their behavior) behaving in a smart and skillful way, and using indirect methods, in order to achieve something I decided to try a more subtle approach.

Why does the word debt include the letter B?

Debt is derived through the Middle English word dette, from the Old French dette or dete. They knew that the word had its origin in the Latin word debitum, and they thought it should pay homage to that word—and they had the wherewithal to slip a "b" into both the English and French versions of the word.

How do you say dumb in English?

Dumb is the Old English word that means "mute, speechless," and itself came from an even older word dheubh meaning "confusion, stupefaction, dizziness." Today, dumb still means "unable to speak," but it doesn't have anything to do with intelligence. Its other meaning, however, does.