Word n°14: where is the silent letter in "bomb"?

The “b” is silent!

When a word ends with – mb, the « b » is systematically silent.

As in (sex) bomb

Lamb

Climb

Thumb

Dumb

Numb (engourdi, insensible)

Comb (un peigne, rhymes with “home”)

A limb

And even if you add a suffix to the word, the pronunciation remains unchanged: Climber [KLAÏ-mer]; Bombing [BO-ming]; Dumb & Dumber [DEU-mer] as in the series of books … for dummies.

"Numb" makes number in the comparative form… which is not pronounced like “number” (n°1, 2, 3…)

Tomb and womb rhyme with doom. So next time you say Tomb Raider, think twice!

Raider by the way like “deux doigts coupe faim” for those of you who were around in the Eighties (Twix for the others) or as in “faire un raid”. Not rider as in Rider in the Storm… We’re dealing here with des pilleurs de tombes, not des cavaliers des tombes.