Some words are traditionally written with extra letters in, which don't make any noise. Since these letters are usually at the start, it may be that these are the accidental remnants of insufficient trimming off of a historically unrecognised infinite prefix. Like the word "know" for example.

Numbers, for example are now widely recognised to have infinite leading zeros (except for negative numbers represented in two's complement, which have infinite leading ones). So 3=03=003 and so on. So James Bond is known as 007 because when his code was standardised someone failed to pare off all the leading zeros.

So all words really have infinitely many silent k's at the start. This being the case, what use is it? I propose that it may be useful if you are ever legally required to confirm your name when you don't wish to. You can simply claim that it isn't you since the name is misspelled. For this to work successfully you might have to find an understanding lawyer in advance and change your name by deed poll.
-- Loris, Aug 26 2002

'k.
-- bristolz, Aug 26 2002


Actually, the guttural Ks and Gs of early English were pronounced, as in G'nome and K'night until the 15th or 16th century, apparently.

Nice try, but a little bit of research would have revealed this to you.

UnaBubba is a phonetic spelling. The P, G, F and T are all silent.
-- UnaBubba, Aug 26 2002


I fart in your general direction you silly kinniggets!
-- RayfordSteele, Aug 26 2002


PungaFubbat(?): The Germans still pronounce those k's. Don't k'now about the g's , though.
-- DrCurry, Aug 26 2002


FungalPubic (?)
-- po, Aug 26 2002


Thanks, pogf. I needed that.
-- UnaBubba, Aug 26 2002


...

(which is to say, the 'watermelancholy' is silient)
-- watermelancholy, Aug 26 2002


Silient Green? (Quiet Silage)
-- UnaBubba, Aug 26 2002


No, Noh, Noe , mindbender. We wouldn't need the word "homonym" if that was the whole [hole] story.
-- jurist, Aug 27 2002


Silent, like the "P" in "bath" ?
-- 8th of 7, Aug 27 2002


Yes, but the yellow stain gives it away.
-- UnaBubba, Aug 27 2002


//"Know" and "no" are homonyms, "know" and "now" are not, unless you're a Scot//
Not even then, as "know" is pronounced "ken" and "now" as "the noo".
-- angel, Aug 27 2002



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