1 2 (I can infer from m-w.com's pronouciation that my tongue's tip has to touch the hard bump behind my upper teeth, but difficult.) Thanks. Osaka, Japan Senior Member 2,805Please feel free to correct any words I write. LiJ . No-- except for the /th/ in health. . Thanks, Mr M. How about /l/ in these words? Are those /l/ except /health/ slient words? Tip's touching some area behind your upper teeth makes the /l/ sound, but in these words except health, before /k/ /th/ /f/, is your tongue' tip not pressed anywhere? Osaka, Japan Senior Member 2,805Please feel free to correct any words I write. LiJ The "L" in "talk" and in "walk" is silent. The "L" in "health" and "yourself" is not. I don't know whether or not MrM was responding to your statement in parentheses when he said "no." My parents and teachers would never have allowed me to not pronounce the "L" in "health" and "yourself." However, I do hear that version in some communities: "yo'seuf." Veteran Member 18,021   ". . . le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." - Henri de Regnier How can I ever thank you, Avangi. Just one thing, silent means the tip of your tongue doesn't need to touch behind your upper teeth, right? Sorry for asking too much. Osaka, Japan Senior Member 2,805Please feel free to correct any words I write. LiJ You give me too much credit. I'm loosing all my arguments today. When we say a letter is silent, we're not talking about the way we pronounce that particular letter. We mean we must pronounce the word as if that letter were not there at all. How do you pronounce the "k" in "knee"? How do you pronounce the "p" in "pneumonia"? If you believe that the only thing essential to producing a proper "L" is that the tip of the tongue touch the front teeth at the gum line, then, yes, a silent "L" means that you don't have to do that. But in more general terms, however many things one must do to produce a given letter, NONE of them need  to be done when that letter is silent.Kooyeen believes that he can produce a non-silent, noisy, audible, proper, acceptable "L" without touching his tongue to any part of his mouth. On this we agree to disagree. I really haven't spent any time visiting over there in the audible arts department, so I no doubt have a lot to learn. Best regards, - A. Veteran Member 18,021 ". . . le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." - Henri de Regnier Really great answer! Thanks a million, Avangi! My tongue is now relaxed! Osaka, Japan Senior Member 2,805Please feel free to correct any words I write. LiJ L is silent in the endings alk, alm, and alf, and in the rare olk, and olm. In AmE, walk = wauk; talk = wauk; chalk = chauk, etc. (There is no L, so don't try to pronounce one.) For some speakers, walk = wock; talk = tock; chalk = chock; etc. aulk acts the same way, e.g., caulk, Faulkner. (No Ls). calm = caum; palm = paum; etc. (There is no L here either; however, some speakers put one in anyway.) half = haff; calf = caff (Again no L, and note the vowel sound. It's not the same sound as in walk or calm.) Note also: halve = hav (= have); calve = cav; salve = sav yolk = yoke; folk = foke; holm = home. As you probably already know, L is also silent in would, could, and should, and in salmon (=sammen) CJ "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche Thanks so much, CJ. I think I can speak English a bit faster! Osaka, Japan Senior Member 2,805Please feel free to correct any words I write. LiJ More
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