lamp · lamb
Both share the short vowel /æ/ — but lamb has a silent B. You say /læm/, not /læmb/. In lamp, the P is fully pronounced.
Both words share the short vowel /æ/, but lamb has a silent B — you never say it. In lamp the P is fully pronounced and released.
Silent letter alert: lamb = /læm/ — the B is invisible to your ears!
Other words with a silent B: debt /dɛt/, doubt /daʊt/, subtle /ˈsʌt.əl/, thumb /θʌm/, comb /koʊm/
noun — a light fixture — 'turn on the lamp' · 'desk lamp' · 'street lamp'
mouth shape
short /æ/ — jaw drops, lips spread — like 'cat', 'hat' — the P is clearly heard and released at the end: /læmp/
lamp
/læmp/
vowel length
noun — a young sheep, or its meat — 'a newborn lamb' · 'roast lamb'
mouth shape
same short /æ/ — but the B is completely silent — you say /læm/, rhymes with 'ham', 'jam'
lamb
/læm/
vowel length
Key difference
Same vowel /æ/ in both. lamp /læmp/: the P is pronounced — two consonants at the end, /mp/. lamb /læm/: the B is completely silent — just one consonant at the end, rhymes with ham, jam.
Example sentences
lamp:“Turn off the lamp before you go to sleep.”
lamp:“She bought a new desk lamp for her office.”
lamb:“The farmer welcomed a newborn lamb this spring.”
lamb:“We had roast lamb for Sunday dinner.”
Hear it in a sentence
“He switched on the lamp and kept reading.”
“The lamb followed its mother across the field.”
Hear it in the wild
Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.
lamp
Hear native speakers say “lamp” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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lamb
Hear native speakers say “lamb” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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How teachers explain this
Approved tips from the community, sorted by helpfulness
Word families
lamp family ▸
lamb family ▸
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