Why do the French not pronounce the letter H?

H Muet. Most French H’s are mute — that is, they are not pronounced and the word acts as if it begins with a vowel. This means that contractions and liaisons are required. For example, le + homme contracts to l’homme — you can’t say “le homme.” And les hommes is pronounced with a liaison: [lay zuhm].

What is the difference between h muet and H Aspiré?

Despite the name, the h aspiré is not aspirated or otherwise pronounced in French. Nevertheless, it is distinct from the h muet in that it does not allow elisions or liaisons – the h acts like a consonant. Because haïr begins with h aspiré, there is no elision with je. If it were h muet, you’d have to write j’hais.

What is an aspirate h in French?

In French spelling, aspirated “h” (French: “h” aspiré) is an initial silent letter that represents a hiatus at a word boundary, between the word’s first vowel and the preceding word’s last vowel. At the same time, the aspirated h stops the normal processes of contraction and liaison from occurring.

Why do we use an for 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 is aspiration phonetics?

In phonetics, aspiration is the strong burst of breath that accompanies either the release or, in the case of preaspiration, the closure of some obstruents.

Is H aspirated?

aspirate, the sound h as in English “hat.” Consonant sounds such as the English voiceless stops p, t, and k at the beginning of words (e.g., “pat,” “top,” “keel”) are also aspirated because they are pronounced with an accompanying forceful expulsion of air.

Is H considered a vowel?

In English, The pronunciation of ⟨h⟩ as /h/ can be analyzed as a voiceless vowel. That is, when the phoneme /h/ precedes a vowel, /h/ may be realized as a voiceless version of the subsequent vowel.

Do you use an before H words?

Here’s what the style guides say: Prentice Hall Reference Guide to Grammar and Usage says that “a” is used before consonant SOUNDS, not just consonants. Use “an” when the word following it starts with a vowel or an unsounded “h.” “A” comes before words with a consonant sound, no matter how the word is spelled.