h
/āch/
noun
- The eighth letter of the modern English alphabet.
- Any of the speech sounds represented by the letter h.
- The eighth in a series.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › H
H - Wikipedia
2 weeks ago - It was formerly common for an rather than a to be used as the indefinite article before a word beginning with /h/ in an unstressed syllable, as in "an historian", but the use of a is now more usual. In English, the pronunciation of ⟨h⟩ as /h/ can be analyzed as a voiceless vowel.
8th letter of the basic Latin alphabet
Cambridge Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org › pronunciation › english › h
H | Pronunciation in English
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio · US/eɪtʃ/ More about phonetic symbols · Sound-by-sound pronunciation · Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio · UK/eɪtʃ/ H · Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio · /eɪ/ as in · Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio ·
Hadar Shemesh
hadarshemesh.com › home › the h in english (how to pronounce, silent h and more)
The H in English (how to pronounce, silent H and more)
October 4, 2025 - "Did he really think it through?" Notice that the first 'he' was pronounced with an H - he, he. Now, because there is a high 'ee' right after, you really hear the air passing between the tongue and the upper palate.
Videos
07:22
How to Pronounce 'H' in British English | Consonant Pronunciation ...
03:58
h as in heart, British English Pronunciation of the Phonetic Alphabet ...
03:18
Phonics for Kids 🗣 The /h/ Sound 🖐 Phonics in English 🐓 ...
00:59
Phonics for Kids: H sound | Phonics Letter Sound H | Learn to read ...
03:48
'h' Words | Phonics | Initial Sounds - YouTube
Englishpronunciationmadrid
englishpronunciationmadrid.com › portada
h - English Pronunciation
June 21, 2025 - The phoneme /h/ isn’t difficult to do, but it doesn’t exist in Spanish. The main problem for Spanish speakers is that, whenever they find an h, they tend to produce the same sound they use in Spanish words like joven or gente (which is symbolized as /x/ in phonetics).
San Diego Voice and Accent
sandiegovoiceandaccent.com › american-english-consonants › how-to-pronounce-the-h-h-consonant
American English Pronunciation: The H /h/ Consonant
Learn how to pronounce every consonant of American English starting with the H /h/ "hello" consonant! In this video, Julie gives you step-by-step instructions on how to perfect your American English pronunciation and American accent.
Pronuncian
pronuncian.com › pronounce-h-sound
Pronounce h sound — Pronuncian: American English Pronunciation
To create the h sound, the deep back of the tongue slightly constricts within the throat. The upper/front part of the tongue as well as the lips will often move into the shape of surrounding sounds at the same time as the h sound is being produced.
Quora
quora.com › How-would-you-phonetically-spell-the-name-of-the-letter-H
How would you phonetically spell the name of the letter “H”? - Quora
Answer (1 of 15): I spell it as “Q-U-E-S-T-I-O-N-S-P-A-M-M-E-R”, but that’s just me, of course.
English Language Club
englishlanguageclub.co.uk › home › pronunciation › h sound: how to pronounce the h sound (/h/ phoneme)
h sound: How to pronounce the h Sound (/h/ Phoneme)
November 1, 2023 - The h sound is Aspirated, you don't vibrate your vocal chords but it is defined by their position, because it is a fricative.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/englishlearning › how do you pronounce the letter "h"? /eɪtʃ/ or /heɪtʃ/?
r/EnglishLearning on Reddit: How do you pronounce the letter "H"? ...
July 4, 2023 -
First of all I'm not confused about how this letter is pronounced. I've been taught it's the former pronunciation all along and none of the dictionaries recognise the latter. But I observed there has been an increasing surge of people, many YouTubers included, that adopted the /heɪtʃ/ pronunciation, which vexed me to no end. I even saw some teachers of English pronounced the letter like that, which is alarming to say the least.
Top answer 1 of 25
106
I pronounce it "aitch" but I think British people say "haitch"
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I have never heard someone from the US pronounce it in the latter form, except as a joke over-Britishism. It is relatively common in the UK. Both seem to be usual forms, and I imagine you'd be understood most of the time with either as well. I'm not sure if you're joking or just being a little over formal, but to find a pronounciation "vexing" or "alarming" is a somewhat excessively strong response, I think.
BBC
bbc.com › news › magazine-11642588
'Haitch' or 'aitch'? How do you pronounce 'H'? - BBC News
October 28, 2010 - So too is there a mystery as to why certain pronunciations cause such strong feeling. Take the eighth letter of the alphabet, pronounce it haitch and then look for the slightly agonised look in some people's eyes.
Really Learn English
really-learn-english.com › english-pronunciation-lesson-23-h-sound.html
English Pronunciation, Lesson 23 - H Sound
Your teacher is happy! You have completed this lesson! Remember, the H sound is a voiceless sound. Continue to practice this sound to make sure you are doing it correctly. Let's move on...
Pronunciation Studio
pronunciationstudio.com › home › h
H - Pronunciation Studio
September 28, 2016 - ‘ph’ is normally pronounced /f/ like in PHENOMENAL & ELEPHANT, but not in SHEPHERD. Sometimes ‘gh’ is also /f/ at the end of a syllable ENOUGH! but it’s more likely to be silent – WEIGH, THIGH, THROUGH, THOROUGH & BOROUGH. Oh and let’s not forget the /p/ in HICCOUGH. https://pronunciationstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/H7.mp3
The Global Montessori Network
theglobalmontessorinetwork.org › all blogs › primary (kindergarten) › how to pronounce 'h'
How to Pronounce 'h' Sound | Montessori Language Lesson
March 30, 2023 - Let the child dip their hands in color and print his hand on a piece of paper. Focus on /h/ pronunciation each time the child prints and says out loud—/h-h-h-hand/.
Wiktionary
en.wiktionary.org › wiki › h
h - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See usage notes for both etymologies. ... From Gaj's Latin alphabet h, from Czech alphabet h, from Latin h. Pronunciation as /xə/ is initial Slovene (phoneme plus a fill vowel) and the second pronunciation is probably taken from German h.
Stack Exchange
english.stackexchange.com › questions › 586600 › phonetic-symbol-superscript-h-in-which
pronunciation - Phonetic symbol - superscript h in Which - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
Q1) What is the meaning of the small h (superscript h) in the phonetic symbols of which shown in Collins? ʰwɪ̠tʃ the small h means 'complete silence' (= just ignore h) the small h means 'pronounce ...
The Independent
independent.co.uk › news › long reads
Haitch or aitch? How a humble letter was held hostage by historical haughtiness | The Independent | The Independent
June 14, 2018 - But it does – the tiny H on “(h)aitch” divides the nation. The pronunciation has become something of a social password, a spoken shibboleth distinguishing in-groupers from out-groupers. Those with social clout set the standards for what’s “in” and what’s “out” – no H has the stamp of approval.
Top answer 1 of 6
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The Cambridge Online Survey of World Englishes has the question, "How do you pronounce the letter 'H'?"
Their current results:
aitch (85%)
haitch (12%)
I use something else (2%)
You can see a clearer (and navigable) image of this response map at the link above by registering and taking the survey:
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According to the OALD, the standard way to pronounce the H is this one, which is without the "H" sound in its pronunciation.
Although on Wikipedia, it says there is also the other pronunciation (with the "H" sound at the beginning) which, anyway, is considered to be nonstandard.
Sounds American
soundsamerican.net › article › consonant_sound_h_as_in_home
Consonant sound /h/ as in "home" | American English pronunciation
Learn how to pronounce the American fricative consonant sound /h/, with audio examples, in-depth instructions, practice exercises, and videos.
ASHLEY HOWARD
ashleyhoward.me › free-online-voice-lessons › how-to-pronounce-h-in-a-british-accent
How to Pronounce H in a British Accent (RP) | Easy Guide
August 22, 2025 - Master the H sound in a British (RP) accent: use a gentle, breathy /h/, keep the tongue low, and know when H is silent. Practice words, sentences and video.