Articulation of the Letters B and P

In the field of phonetics letter B and P are studied together. They both belong to the same group and at times they are articulated or inarticulated. So here we will mostly focus when the letters B and P are pronounced and when they are silent.

They retain their sound of articulation in words like bat, book, before, bridge, bangle, put, practice, paper, pick, plate. Here one thing is quite remarkable: when these letters are followed or preceded by vowels, they are articulated. On the other hand when P and B are put together with other consonants, they are not pronounced in words.

B as a silent letter in words

B is not pronounced when it comes at the end of the word preceded by M

Example words: bomb, climb, comb, crumb, dumb, lamb, limb, numb, plumb, thumb, tomb.

B is also silent before T in words like debt, doubt,  and subtle.

P as a silent letter

When p comes before the letters N, S and T, it is not spoken in the word, the list of the words is given below

pneumatic 

pneumonia 

psychic 

psychiatry 

psychiatrist 

psychedelic

psychology

psychologist

psychopath

psychosis 

psychotherapy 

pterodactyl

pterosaur 

ptarmigan

In all the above written words P is not spoken.