Why does the word two have aw?

Why does the word two have aw?

This is probably because the Dutch and German from which it originated also pronounced the 'w'. Modern English has a tendency to keep the original spelling ( or a variation of it) but change the pronunciation. This is probably why the 'w' in 'two' is silent.

Why is the C in scent silent?

The "s" and the "c" together make a softer "s" sound. Compared to the words "sent" and "cent", the word "scent" sounds more like "sscent." Similar to the words "ascent" and "assent", where assent has a harder and faster sound. Neither letter is silent.

Why is the W silent in Greenwich?

Greenwich/Southwark/Woolwich/Chiswick: The 'silent W' is a common peril for non-natives. The phenomenon tends to crop up in names of Anglo Saxon origin. If you see a W in the middle of a place name, just ignore it (hence Gren-itch, suth-urk, Wool-itch and Chis-ick). It's only a rule of thumb, though.

Why is who spelled Who?

4 Answers. The spelling "who" was originally used simply because, in past time periods, this word was pronounced with a "wh" sound. To be clear, by "a "wh" sound" I mean a sound that is different from either "w" or "h" on its own. "Who" is one of the many question words starting with wh- in English.