Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Speech & Pronunciation
Why is the T in Christmas silent?
This has been running through my mind for awhile. Was there a point when they did pronounce the t?
Top answer
Silent letters are not that unusual in English. Perhaps the t of the syllable-final consonant cluster st is a little difficult to pronounce because it is bumped up against the m that begins the next syllable. A similar thing happens in asthma and isthmus , where the th is silent.
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Silent letters are not that unusual in English. Perhaps the t of the syllable-final consonant cluster st is a little difficult to pronounce because it is bumped up against the m that begins the next syllable.
A similar thing happens in asthma and isthmus, where the th is silent.
Another similar situation occurs when syllable-final rt
A similar thing happens in asthma and isthmus, where the th is silent.
Another similar situation occurs when syllable-final rt
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