A semiconductor memory bit cell includes an inverter latch including a pair of cross-coupled inverters. A first transistor has a gate coupled to a first control line and a source coupled to the inverter latch, and a second transistor has a gate coupled to a second control line and a drain coupled to the drain of the first transistor at a first node. A third transistor has a source coupled to the first node and a gate coupled to a word line, and a fourth transistor has a gate coupled to a source of the second transistor and to the inverter latch. A fifth transistor has a gate coupled to the word line and a drain coupled to a read bit line.