Silent W in WR

At the start of a word, wr is /r/. Like kn, a closed set with no exceptions.

Silent letters

wr- SILENT_WR_01

Strong rule · High reliability · Common · Intermediate · Reading and spelling

• /r/ r: write, wrong, wrap

Where Wiggler teaches it: Skill 11: Advanced Patterns & Silent Letters

Child explanation

When w and r are together at the start of a word, the w is quiet. Write, wrong, wrap.

The rule

When a word begins wr, the w is silent and the word begins with /r/.

What is really going on

As with kn, the cluster was once pronounced and simplified in early modern English. The set is closed and exceptionless, and the w is never silent before any other letter.

Position in the word

• Beginning of a word — The only position. For example: write, wrong, wrap, wrist.

Examples

Easy examples

write, wrong, wrap, wrist, wreck

More examples

wren, wring, wrinkle, wrestle, wriggle, written, wrath, wrapper

Pseudo-words

Made-up words that follow the rule. A child who reads these has the pattern rather than the vocabulary.

wrad, wrep, wrim

Contrast pairs

• write versus right — Homophones, different spellings.
• wrap versus rap
• wring versus ring

Decodable sentences

• Do not write the wrong word.
• Wrap the gift and rest your wrist.
• The wren flew past the wreck.

Teacher note

Teach with kn and gn. Point out that write/right, wrap/rap and know/no are homophone pairs — the silent letter is often what distinguishes two words that sound identical, which makes the letter feel purposeful rather than pointless.

Related rules

• Silent K in KN — kn- — At the start of a word, kn is /n/. A small closed set, exceptionless, and easy to teach because every member begins the word.
• Silent G in GN — gn- / -gn — G is silent before n at the start of a word and after n at the end — gnat, gnome, sign, design.
• The consonants that keep one sound — b d f h j k l m n p r t v w z — Fifteen consonants represent the same sound almost everywhere they appear. They are the reliable floor the rest of the system is built on.

• Previous in Silent letters: Silent K in KN — kn- — At the start of a word, kn is /n/. A small closed set, exceptionless, and easy to teach because every member begins the word.
• Next in Silent letters: Silent B in MB and BT — -mb / -bt — At the end of a word, b after m is silent — lamb, thumb, climb. In debt and doubt, b before t is silent too.
• All reading rules

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