🔠 1. What are Silent Letters?
These are letters that appear in writing, but are not pronounced.
Common examples:
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k → knight, know
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b → lamb, comb
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w → write, wrong
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gh → light, thought
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Final e → name, like
Quick activity:
👉 Have students underline silent letters in a list of words and only repeat the correct sounds.
🗣️ 2. Vowels in English vs. Spanish
In Spanish → 5 vowels = 5 sounds.
In English → +15 vowel sounds (long, short, and combined).
Example with the letter A:
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/æ/ in cat
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/eɪ/ in cake
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/ɑː/ in car
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/ɔː/ in call
Example with the letter O:
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/ɒ/ in dog
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/oʊ/ in go
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/ʌ/ in love
🧩 3. Irregular Patterns (which are very confusing)
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ough → through, though, thought, tough
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ea → head, read (past), read (present)
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ie → piece, friend
Quick activity:
👉 Make flashcards with each pattern and have students find 2–3 more words in a text or story.
💡 4. Tips for Teaching Without Confusion
1️⃣ Don't translate sounds to Spanish: demonstrate them with your mouth.
2️⃣ Start with short and more frequent sounds (I have the sequence ready in my manual!)
3️⃣ Use minimal pairs (ship/sheep, bit/beat) to train the ear.
Now you know why English letters sound so different from Spanish.
👉 If you want a step-by-step plan for the entire school year, check out the Bilingual Brilliance Manual and my courses designed for Spanish-speaking teachers and moms.
