← The Sounds of English · Lesson 3 of 3
Why spelling drifted
English spelling settled down after printing arrived in England in the 1470s. Meanwhile, the long vowels were in the middle of a slow change between about 1400 and 1700, called the Great Vowel Shift.
So many spellings record older sounds. The k in knight was once spoken. No accent today is the "correct" one; every accent is a living version of the same shifting system.
Why does "knight" have a silent k?
A lesson is kept once you've answered the question and written at least 8 words. Nobody grades it; it stays on this device.