Decoding the letter L

The letter L, lowercase l (pronounced /el/) normally represents IPA phoneme /l/. For examples see IPA phoneme /l/.

In several cases "l" is silent, and in some cases it modifies the sound of the previous vowel.
 * "al" as /ɔː/: talk - walk
 * "al" as /ɑː/: almond - balm - palm - psalm
 * "al" as /ɑː/ or /æ/: calf - half
 * "al" as /æ/: salmon /ˈsæmən/ but salmonella /ˌsælməˈnelə/
 * "ol" as /əʊ/: folklore - Sherlock Holmes - Stockholm /ˈstɒk həʊm, ˈstɒk həʊlm/
 * "ol" as /ə/: Lincoln. cf. Linkin Park
 * "oul" as /ʊ/: could - should - would

Exception: "l" as /r/
 * colonel /ˈkɜːrnəl/

Homophones
 * colonel - kernel
 * In General American: balm - bomb

Double l
Normally "ll" represents /l/, as in will, really, follow.

"ll" as /ll/ in two different syllables
 * wholly /ˈhəʊlli, ˈhəʊli/
 * goalless - soulless - wheelless