An Analysis of Silent Letter Mispronunciation Made by Students 7th Grade

Abstract

This research aims to examine the mispronunciation of silent letters produced by Indonesian junior high school students when learning English. Mispronunciation refers to the incorrect pronunciation of words, which often occurs because English contains phonological features that are not found in the Indonesian language. Many pronunciation errors are caused by silent letters such as gh and h, which are frequently articulated by students despite being silent in standard English pronunciation. This research was conducted with eighteen seventh-grade students at a junior high school. A qualitative research method was employed, in which data were collected through audio recordings of the students’ pronunciation and subsequently described and analyzed using descriptive qualitative techniques. The findings reveal that most participants incorrectly pronounced words containing silent letters, indicating that silent-letter pronunciation remains a major challenge for beginner English learners. These errors were influenced by first-language interference, limited pronunciation practice, and insufficient exposure to authentic English speech. The study concludes that English teachers should provide more intensive pronunciation instruction, incorporate phonetic awareness activities, and utilize audio-based learning materials to improve students’ pronunciation accuracy and communicative competence in learning English.