For words such as ‘Knife’ and ‘Crumb’, they can easily just be spelt as Nife and Crum, right?
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English was influenced by a number of other languages, when the British Isles got invaded several times, and the invaders brought their languages with them.
Those languages, their rules, spelling, and grammar all influence English over the centuries where they mix.
But really, the answer is French. The Normans invaded England in 1066 and stuck around for a while. Anyone who knows French knows that language *loves* silent letters.
The history of the English language is a really extensive and fascinating topic, and it’s hard to do justice in passing.
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