Why does English use silent letters like the “k” in “knife”?

• The silent “k” in words like knight, knife, knock was originally pronounced in Old and Middle English (e.g., k-nicht).

📜 History: Over centuries, English pronunciation simplified, dropping the initial “k” and “gh” sounds—but spelling was already standardized by printing, so the silent letters remained.

🤔 Trivia: Other silent letter leftovers include:

• “W” in “wrestle”
• “B” in “doubt” (borrowed from Latin dubitare)
• “L” in “calm” (originally pronounced like “kahlm”)