BEGINNER LEVEL ENGLISH TIP: words that start with KN Why the K is Silent * In Old English and early Middle English, the k in words like knight and knee was pronounced. (So knight sounded more like kuh-nicht.) * Over time, the initial k sound before n disappeared in spoken English, but the spelling stayed. * Today, the k is silent, but the spelling helps show the word’s history and connections to related words in other languages (like German Knie = knee). Common KN- Words 1. knee – the joint betw