eli5: Why are there “silent letters” in words if they’re not meant to be pronounced? E.g. Why spell it “plumber” instead of “plummer”?

Question

This is true for a lot of words and I don’t understand what the point of including letters if they’re not supposed to be pronounced.

In: 6

Answer 1

After 2 years of Latin I can tell you this answer. Some words have silent letters due to their origins and the evolution of language over time. In the case of “plumber,” the word comes from the Latin word “plumbum,” which means lead. Plumbing used to use lead piping. The “b” in “plumber” is a remnant of its Latin origin. Over time, the pronunciation of the word changed, but the spelling remained the same, resulting in a silent “b.” Spelling it as “Plummer” would not accurately reflect its historical roots.