H, or h, is the eighth letter in the ISO basic Latin alphabet. Its name in English is aitch (pronounced /ˈeɪtʃ/, plural aitches), or regionally haitch /ˈheɪtʃ/.
| H | |
|---|---|
| H h | |
| (See below) | |
| Usage | |
| Writing system | Latin script |
Contents
Which is correct aitch or Haitch?
First, you won’t find ‘haitch’ in the dictionary, only the correct spelling aitch. The name of the letter comes from Old French ache of the 1500s and first spelt so in English, when it was related to the Old English word ache, from æce. At this time it was pronounced “ache” or “aitch”.
Why is H pronounced aitch?
Usage (language): The name of the letter h is based on French (h)ache, in which the initial h is not pronounced. In imitation of the French, the English name is commonly aitch, but this means the name does not contain the sound of the letter.
Why is H pronounced?
In Britain, H owes its name to the Normans, who brought their letter “hache” with them in 1066.Almost two thousand years later we are still split, and pronouncing H two ways: “aitch”, which is posh and “right”; and “haitch”, which is not posh and thus “wrong”.
How do you say h in Northern Ireland?
In Northern Ireland the Catholic population is distinguished from the Protestant by the former saying ‘haitch‘ and the latter ‘aitch’. ‘Haitch’ is the way Catholic primary schools teach H in the alphabet and therefore may well have Papal authority as correct!
Should you use an before H?
For the letter “H”, the pronunciation dictates the indefinite article: Use “a” before words where you pronounce the letter “H” such as “a hat,” “a house” or “a happy cat.” Use “an” before words where you don’t pronounce the letter “H” such as “an herb,” “an hour,” or “an honorable man.”
What are H words?
5 letter words that start with H
- haafs.
- haars.
- habit.
- hacek.
- hacks.
- hadal.
- haded.
- hades.
Is the H silent in human?
H is silent in many English words, for various reasons.Over the centuries we have come to pronounce the h in words like horrible, hospital, host, human, and humour.
Is it aitch or Haitch Australia?
In a 1944 session of Australian Parliament, then-Senate president Gordon Brown said he had heard various members of Parliament pronounce H as ‘haitch’. ‘Whereas its proper pronunciation,’ Brown opined, ‘is aitch.
Why H is silent in honest?
H is silent in many English words, for various reasons.The words hour and honest come from French, and in these cases English took over the French pronunciation as well as the word. Not all such words that have come into English from French still have a silent h, however.
How is H pronounced in Ireland?
The oddly named letter H is usually pronounced ‘aitch’ /eɪtʃ/ in British English, but in Ireland we tend to aspirate it as ‘haitch’ /heɪtʃ/. This haitching is a distinctive feature of Hiberno-English, one that may have originated as an a hypercorrection but is now the norm in most Irish dialects.
Is Ha letter in Irish?
The Irish alphabet doesn’t actually contain the letter H, even though it appears constantly in modern Irish spelling! The H is used to denote a special effect called lenition — which is really a fancy way of talking about aspiration of consonants.Another change that can occur to words in Irish is eclipsis.
Where did the letter H come from?
H, h [Generally called ‘AITCH’, and sometimes ‘haitch’ in IrE and AusE]. The 8th LETTER of the Roman ALPHABET as used for English. It derives from the Phoenician consonant heth, ancestor of the Greek letter eta (H). The Romans adopted eta to represent the ASPIRATE sound /h/.
Is H ever a vowel?
Since “h” is not a vowel, we use “the” / ðə / and “a” before it. ), and consonants are all the other letters. The vowels we have already reviewed in this series (a, e, i, o, u) are exclusively and only vowels and never make consonant sounds, but the letter ‘y’ is different, which is why we are looking at it here today.
Do you say an horrific or a horrific?
Some speakers do not pronounce the ‘h’ at the beginning of horrific and use ‘an’ instead of ‘a’ before it. This now sounds old-fashioned.
Should y be a vowel?
Y is considered to be a vowel if…When y forms a diphthong—two vowel sounds joined in one syllable to form one speech sound, such as the “oy” in toy, “ay” in day, and “ey” in monkey—it is also regarded as a vowel. Typically, y represents a consonant when it starts off a word or syllable, as in yard, lawyer, or beyond.
What starts with a letter H?
- habanera.
- habanero.
- habdalah.
- habendum.
- habitans.
- habitant.
- habitats.
- habiting.
What is the longest H word?
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia (36 letters)
That’s called: Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia and it’s one of the longest words in the dictionary.
What are 4 letter words that start with H?
4-letter words starting with H
| haaf | haar |
|---|---|
| halt | Hama |
| hame | Hami |
| hams | hand |
| hang | hank |
How do I get rid of H factor?
- Watch out for words that begin with the vowel sounds.
- Reduce your volume when you are about to hit on those words that begin with the vowel sounds.
- The letter ‘h’ is produced while you exhale.
- Compile lots of words that begin with the vowel sounds and practice with them.
- Let’s work with you on this.
Is H silent in home?
Silent H. H is always silent in HONOUR, HOUR, HONEST, HEIR, VEHICLE & VEHEMENT. You don’t say it after ‘g’ in GHOST, GHASTLY, AGHAST, GHERKIN & GHETTO, or after ‘r’ in RHINOCEROS, RHUBARB, RHYME and RHYTHM. It’s normally silent after ‘w’: WHAT?