Which letter is silent in the word comfortable?

Answer 1

The usual non-technical answer to your question is that the second O is often omitted, because pronouncing the word "comfortable" does not necessarily begin with a pronunciation of the word, "comfort." It may be pronounced (kumf-tuhr-buhl) or even (kumft-uh-buhl) with an unpronounced R.

However, the story is much more complex. Here are the pronunciations of "comfortable" listed in the most recent edition of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary. [The * symbol represents the unaccented neutral vowel, "schwa," which is represented in the print copy by an "e" that is flipped top to bottom and right to left.]

k*m(p)f-t*(r)-b*l -- Note that an optional "p" is indicated; the "t" and "r" are reversed (the "r" is optional), with a schwa (representing either the "a" or the "o") between them; the final "e" is silent.

*k*m(p)-f*(r)-t*-b*l -- Note that an optional "p" is indicated; the "o" is pronounced as a schwa; the final "e" is silent.

*k*m-f*(r)-b*l -- Note that the "o" is pronounced as a schwa; the "r" is optional; the "t" and "a" are omitted; the final "e" is silent.

In each of its recorded pronunciations, Merriam-Webster shows a schwa between the final "b-l" combination. It is possible to say that combination without the schwa, but as there is no vowel indicated in the spelling, most people would probably not say that the sound was "omitted." Nor would they assert that the final "silent e" is "omitted."