An average married couple has two arguments a week, which result in the "silent treatment" for two hours and 14 minutes each time, a new UK poll has shown.

The survey showed that couples spend almost ten days a year not speaking to each other after domestic rows.

And the top reasons behind the cold war were -- saying the wrong thing and taking each other for granted, the study found.

Christine Northam, a counsellor with Relate, said the pace of modern life meant couples were increasingly prone to rowing.

"It doesn't surprise me that people spend this amount of time not speaking to each other because life is so busy nowadays that the pressures on modern couples are pretty horrendous," The Scotsman quoted her, as saying.

"It's very easy to snap at one another when you're stressed and especially if you live in a big city, where you never get peace.

"Couples have to be very disciplined about spending time together at the weekends and planning bits of their lives together so they don't become overwhelmed by chores and work.

"Communication is the key to it. Lots of couples I work with don't have time to communicate or they're so tired that they just veg out in front of the telly and don't speak to each other," she added.

Some fundamental issues too made it to the list like:

~ Disagreements over child rearing
~ Being shunned in the bedroom
~ Jealousy over friendships
~ Never going out as a couple.

A spokesman for market research company Onepoll.com, which surveyed 3,000 married people, said silence can sometimes be best for both parties.

"It's better to give each other the silent treatment than have a raging row as it gives you a chance to calm down and think about things," he said.