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2nd grade · English Language Arts · Unit 13 of 14

Silent Letters & Short Forms

Silent letters like the k in knot, contractions and abbreviations.

What your child practices

Your child reads and spells words with silent letters (knot, lamb, night), contractions (they're) and common abbreviations (Mr., Jan., St.).

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 2.2(B); 2.2(C) · silent letters, contractions and common abbreviations

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Some letters are silent: the k in knot, the b in lamb, the w in write.
  2. A contraction shortens two words: can not → can't.
  3. An abbreviation is a short form of a word: Mr., St.

Example: Which letter is silent in “knee”? Say “knee”: you hear /n/ first. The k is not said. Answer: k

Silent Letters & Short Forms in Texas

In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 13 of 14 in 2nd grade English Language Arts, after Media Detectives and before Prefixes & Suffixes.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    What is the short form of “could not”?

    • wouldn't
    • couldn't
    • could've
    • can't

  2. Question 2

    Which letter is silent in “lamb”?

    • m
    • b
    • l
    • a

  3. Question 3

    Which spelling of the joint in your leg is right?

    • nee
    • kee
    • knee
    • kne

  4. Question 4

    Which word has a silent letter?

    • knock
    • nod
    • neck
    • kick

  5. Question 5

    “wasn't” is a short way to say…

    • was not
    • will not
    • was it
    • we are not

  6. Question 6

    What does “Ave.” stand for?

    • Awake
    • Avenue
    • Away
    • Avoid

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