Silent Letters Puzzle

[cheesehead]

How about a more difficult variant -- the silent letter is the second or later occurrence of that letter in a word where the first occurrence is pronounced.

2nd A: astreAm

2nd U: portugUese
(as an adjective rather than a proper noun, but probably ineligible because it's usually capitalized anyway)

or, among those we already have,

2nd F: stafF

[grandpascorpion]

Double letters are too easy.

[cheesehead]

Right. So make it:

The silent letter is the second, or later, nonadjacent occurrence of that letter in a word where the first occurrence is pronounced.

(So, "staff" is ineligible.)

2nd A: pharAoh

2nd H & 2nd P: phenylPHthalein

[grandpascorpion]

d: dredge (debatable)
e: effete
h: high

[xilman]

Originally Posted by cheesehead

Right. So make it:

The silent letter is the second, or later, nonadjacent occurrence of that letter in a word where the first occurrence is pronounced.
2nd H & 2nd P: phenylPHthalein

Both of which are pronounced in many English dialects, including my own.


Paul

[cheesehead]

Originally Posted by xilman

Both of which are pronounced in many English dialects, including my own.

Another good reason for empires to establish colonies: tighten up the language.

[Uncwilly]

Originally Posted by xilman

Both of which are pronounced in many English dialects, including my own.

All of the chemists that I know pronounce the p. Just like in the various phthalates

[davieddy]

Originally Posted by cheesehead

Another good reason for empires to establish colonies: tighten up the language.

NucUlar

[petrw1]

A +++ aegis +++ ACCEPTED
A +++ Aisle +++ ACCEPTED
A +++ astreAm +++ ACCEPTED if you mean a as in stream
A +++ boAt +++ ACCEPTED
A +++ pharAoh +++ ACCEPTED
B +++ deBt +++ ACCEPTED
B +++ subtle +++ ACCEPTED
C +++ Ctene +++ Haven't found a pronounciation yet
C +++ yacht +++ ACCEPTED
D +++ dredge +++ ACCEPTED
D +++ edge +++ ACCEPTED
D +++ weDnesday +++ ACCEPTED
E +++ aegis +++ ACCEPTED
E +++ edge +++ ACCEPTED
E +++ effete +++ ACCEPTED
G +++ miGht +++ ACCEPTED
G +++ sigh +++ ACCEPTED
H +++ anchor +++ ACCEPTED
H +++ high +++ ACCEPTED
H +++ Honour +++ ACCEPTED
H +++ phenylPHthalein +++ ACCEPTED but I found it as phenolPHthalein
H +++ sigh +++ ACCEPTED
I +++ busIness +++ ACCEPTED
I +++ laid +++ ACCEPTED
J +++ gJu +++ Can't find this word
K +++ Knife +++ ACCEPTED
K +++ know +++ ACCEPTED
L +++ calm +++ ACCEPTED
L +++ couLd +++ ACCEPTED
M +++ mnemonic +++ ACCEPTED
M +++ Mpret +++ Can't find this word
N +++ Column +++ ACCEPTED
N +++ damN +++ ACCEPTED
N +++ Hymn +++ ACCEPTED
O +++ Oedema +++ ACCEPTED
O +++ pious +++ ACCEPTED
P +++ corps +++ ACCEPTED
P +++ cuPboard +++ ACCEPTED
P +++ phenylPHthalein +++ ACCEPTED but I found it as phenolPHthalein
P +++ pseudo +++ ACCEPTED
P +++ Psychology +++ ACCEPTED
Q +++ lacQuer +++ ACCEPTED - better answer than I have
R +++ our +++ iffy - I pronounce the R (like OW-ER)
S +++ corps +++ ACCEPTED
S +++ debris +++ ACCEPTED
S +++ iSle +++ ACCEPTED
T +++ boaTswain +++ ACCEPTED
T +++ tzar +++ ACCEPTED
U +++ guide +++ ACCEPTED
U +++ guild +++ ACCEPTED
U +++ gUile +++ ACCEPTED
U +++ portugUese +++ ACCEPTED
U +++ rogue +++ ACCEPTED
V +++ akVavit +++ Iffy - variation of aquavit
W +++ flow +++ ACCEPTED
W +++ know +++ ACCEPTED
W +++ tWo +++ ACCEPTED
X +++ bureauX +++ ACCEPTED
X +++ chateaux +++ ACCEPTED
Y +++ eYot +++ iffy - can be pronounced like eight
Z +++ Pizza +++ Iffy - even if pronounced pitsa
Z +++ rendeZvous +++ ACCEPTED

So I have accepted answers for all letters except: F, J, R, V, Y
There are iffy (in my opinion) claims for J and Y

You could saY that Y is one of the easiest
F and V use vague words (some might say iffy)
R has couple answers of French origin but used commonly in English
To get J your thinking needs to be clouded

[cheesehead]

Originally Posted by petrw1;103488A

+++ astreAm +++ ACCEPTED if you mean a as in stream

Some posts have used uppercase to denote the silent letter(s); I've adopted that convention.

H +++ phenylPHthalein +++ ACCEPTED but I found it as phenolPHthalein

< snip >

P +++ phenylPHthalein +++ ACCEPTED but I found it as phenolPHthalein

The latter ("phenolphthalein") appears to be the correct spelling for the substance I had in mind.

[Patrick123]

Here is an interesting one:
Can I lead the way.
The lead is heavy.