Focused phonics guideConsonant patterns

Why do knee and knot begin with a letter we do not say?

Quick answer

In familiar words beginning with kn, the spelling represents /n/: knot sounds like not. Children can recognise the written pair while attending to the single initial sound.

Pattern to notice

KN and the silent initial K

Standard term: Initial kn representing /n/

Initial kn commonly represents /n/.

kn

Where this fits in the phonics journey

Pattern decoding

This concept builds beyond basic CVC reading by teaching a reusable spelling or sound pattern. The prerequisite and next-step links on this page show the surrounding learning sequence.

What the child should be able to do

Read familiar initial kn words as beginning with /n/ while retaining the silent k in spelling.

When this pattern does not apply

Do not add a /k/ sound before /n/, and do not remove k from the spelling simply because it is silent.

Reading use

Recognise kn as the written pattern for /n/ at the start of words such as knit, knot, knock and knee.

Spelling use

Keep the k in known kn words even though it is not heard as a separate sound.

Tiny Steps curriculum connection

Direct lesson alignment

  • Early PhonicsLesson 15: Digraphs TH and KN

How to teach this pattern

  • Start with knit and knot; knee also needs ee knowledge.
  • Compare knot/not orally, then notice the different spellings and meanings.

Common confusions to watch for

  • Adding /k/ before /n/.
  • Leaving out k in spelling because it cannot be heard.

Simple practice ideas

  • Underline kn and blend the remaining taught patterns.
  • Dictate a familiar kn word and explain why its first sound has two written letters.

Learning sequence

Useful contrasts

Use contrasts after the main pattern is secure. They help children see where a useful phonics generalisation stops applying.

notnet

Explore related phonics patterns

More from consonant patterns

These links are selected from the published Tiny Steps phonics graph, prioritising nearby patterns in the same family before adjacent curriculum concepts.

Browse all phonics resources →
CH digraphIn early phonics, ch is commonly taught as one grapheme representing /ch/ in words such as chat, chip and much. Less common pronunciations can be introduced later.NG digraphN and g frequently work together as the grapheme ng, representing /ng/ in words such as sing, ring and long.SH digraphThe letters s and h frequently work together as the digraph sh, representing /sh/ in words such as ship, shop and fish.TH: voiced and voicelessTH commonly represents two related sounds: voiceless /th/ as in thin and voiced /th/ as in this. Children benefit from hearing and feeling the contrast.

Related Tiny Steps resources

Keep the pattern inside the bigger reading pathway

Back to Phonics & Reading →
Read the related guide/blog/digraphs-and-tricky-wordsUse focused practice/free-word-building-games-for-kids

Your next learning step

Continue with the learning path that matches this need

If this is the same need you see in your child, the relevant programme is the most useful next step.

Explore the Tiny Steps phonics programme