'Aitch' or 'haitch'?

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
29/10/2010 22:55

How do you pronounce the letter 'H'.



British English dictionaries give aytch as the standard pronunciation for the letter H. However, the pronunciation haytch is also attested as a legitimate variant.

Newboy


Joined: 21/02/2008
Posts: 80

Message Posted:
29/10/2010 23:12

deleted under Rule 3

Maz


Joined: 29/03/2009
Posts: 1924

Message Posted:
29/10/2010 23:15

I thought it was the other way round. Haitch, cos we Brits pronounce it - unless cockneys. It is the cockneys wot say 'aitch' Watcha fink?

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
29/10/2010 23:17

Strange one Maz. Cockneys do pronounce 'H' as 'aitch. However a lot of people do pronounce it as 'Haitch'

shrimp


Joined: 01/09/2010
Posts: 939

Message Posted:
29/10/2010 23:23

definately Aitch!!!!.........never, ever Haitch

vonny


Joined: 25/06/2009
Posts: 476

Message Posted:
29/10/2010 23:30

ive always said haitch,my daughter tells me off and insists its aitch...but its a bit like when people say salt,some say sult others say solt

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
29/10/2010 23:31

I always say 'sort'. As in - "she's a good sort" )

Maz


Joined: 29/03/2009
Posts: 1924

Message Posted:
29/10/2010 23:58

Guerss it's a bit like the song 'You say either and I say either, you say neither and I say neither......' Of course written gives nothing away, but different they are. So, unless your English teacher wraps you over the knuckles, you may 'aitch' or #haitch# all depending on the mood you are in. I stay with Haitch. Cos it is a 'h' sound, or should I say 'aspirated'.!!!!!!

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 00:14

Maz. I hunderstand hexactly. )

mistress


Joined: 29/08/2009
Posts: 57

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 00:18

Deleted under Rule 3

Pandy


Joined: 27/08/2010
Posts: 171

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 00:33

Definitely 'aitch'.

Jeannie


Joined: 04/08/2009
Posts: 3283

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 02:55

IT IS DEFINITELY "AITCH". Sorry, I know I'm shouting but "HAITCH" drives me bloody insane.



But then again, so does "Fursdy", "Fanks" and "Fought" - and I don't mean 'fought' as in battle, but 'thought' as in 'thought'.



I daresay I will be accused, yet again, by those on here who feel that correct spelling and punctuation are of no consequence, of being a nit picker. I heard Jamie Oliver, on the TV this evening, pronounce "fluorescent" as something completely different. If he cannot pronounce the word (God spare us, he's a TV presenter) then why doesn't he substitute a word he CAN pronounce?



I despair, I really do.

LaptaMike


Joined: 07/10/2009
Posts: 1679

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 03:15

moving wot, to a skool in sowth manchester a few yers agow I had to change my acsent quite a lot, now wot i mean.



Sorry, can't do the lingo of kids these days. I had a very broad West Cumbrian accent when we first moved to Cheshire. I had to adapt my accent so that other pupils and the teachers (and general public) could understand me. I now have a non descript accent with a twinge of Cumbrian in it (apparently)

jimchris09


Joined: 13/02/2009
Posts: 547

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 03:39

Who's this woman, Laura Norder, we keep hearing about on the news? Anyone seen any "drawrings" of her?

LaptaMike


Joined: 07/10/2009
Posts: 1679

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 03:46

sorry jim, over my head that one. ;-) Unless you mean a lack of Laura Norder on the streets for the last few years ;-)

Deniz1


Joined: 28/07/2009
Posts: 3829

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 06:53

Chef Emeril Lagasse is the master of mis pronounciation i watch his programme on Digiturk sometimes and it makes me cringe.

Norman



Joined: 21/12/2008
Posts: 58

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 07:13

IT'S AITCH

Jefferson


Joined: 17/05/2010
Posts: 360

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 07:23

Message 12. Spot on in all aspects. You have a spelling ally.(Is that spelt right?)

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 07:31

Do those who hold that H is pronounced 'haitch' pronounce W as 'wubbleyou'

CarrieRBag



Joined: 23/12/2008
Posts: 1374

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 08:56

Definitely Aitch



http://www.facebook.com/pages/Its-AITCH-not-HAITCH/210173699245

deputydawg


Joined: 30/03/2010
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 09:07

Anyone been to Golders Green ? If you vant to buy a vatch you must buy a vatch, if not, you must get your snotty nose off the vinder. Or Harrow ? when they say, the hoak, the helm, and the hash, they mean the oak, the elm, and the ash, not hemorrhoids on a haristocrats harsehole.

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 09:17

Bill, interesting (no kidding)! Certain aspects of the beautiful English language are just incomprehensible for foreigners. About the " h ": help, human, Howard, home, Hew, Lord Home. Awaiting the experts explanation...

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 12:29

Good points 'ans. )

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 12:40

Really depends on your glottal-stops!



Richard

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 12:47

a, a, Bill, I mean ha, ha! Bill, I didn't even mention the " k " yet: knee, know, OK, knife, Kensington, knight (huh? night or what?) etc etc! Kind of Ottoman English - you need a British Atatürk to review the whole language...

Clarissa2


Joined: 12/06/2009
Posts: 1476

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 13:42

Re : Msg 25,



Dear 'ans,



You have to blame Normans, Anglo-Saxons and The Great Vowel Shift for that.

Ballyboffin


Joined: 25/08/2007
Posts: 903

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 13:58

Here in Northern Ireland, the way H is pronounced by someone tells which religion they are.



Protestants pronounce it AITCH and Catholics pronounce it HAITCH!

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 14:16

RE msg 27: (h)elp!

Optimist


Joined: 24/08/2009
Posts: 111

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 18:17

Nothing to do with regional dialect - it's AITCH!

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
30/10/2010 18:28

'ans, you can't 'nock it! )

swannee7


Joined: 21/08/2009
Posts: 394

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 00:18

When I waz a nipper, us kids waz brought up proper (i.e. we waz tort to read & write proply, say 'thank you' not ' ta ever so') and wen we lernt the alfabet we waz told to 'aspirate the aspirant' in the letter H and always say AITCH. Seriously though, apart from regional dialects and the Irish, H-aitch seems to have wormed its way into our modern State school system as more & more youngsters today have adopted its use and don't seem even to recognise the connection between the A-itch & H-aitch.

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 00:41

As I'm Irish I probably use the H.However its always pointed out to me that i have a very English accent. Most people think I come from surrey or the home counties. Now this has me thinking are there are countries who do not have an H in their alphabet

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 00:43

Those that speak with received pronunciation should know that it's a soft H-aitch.



Richard

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 00:45

i knew that brins.You are so well spoken though. I love listening to you x

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 00:48

Liz

Bullshit as well?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Richard

Jeannie


Joined: 04/08/2009
Posts: 3283

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 02:06

Message 18 - Jefferson.



I really cannot thank you enough for your comment.



It is good to know that not all of us on here consider correct spelling and grammarr a total inconsequence.



I should perhaps add that my husband (a nicer chap you could ever wish to meet) was born in South (Sarf) London whilst I was born a few miles outside. His prononuciation of words and mine are poles apart.



Still, I suppose at the end of the day, there's a lot more to consider in a person than their received pronunciation



Regards



Jean

MsGarnet


Joined: 04/01/2009
Posts: 989

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 03:53

aitch - no question

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 07:19

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3y0CD2CoCs



Definitely aitch, the evidence is here...

jimchris09


Joined: 13/02/2009
Posts: 547

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 15:55

Now let's have a go at the aberrant apostrophe! You know the one I mean, on signs and notices such as



"Happy Hour's Everyday from 6 - 9pm "



"Mandarine's 2Tl a Kilo"



These are made up but I'm sure some of you have seen example's ( ) of the real thing either in TRNC or elsewhere!

shrimp


Joined: 01/09/2010
Posts: 939

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 16:18

can I join in too, (to, two.......? ) not mentioning their, there and they're

Clarissa2


Joined: 12/06/2009
Posts: 1476

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 16:46

Re : Msg 33,34,



Brinsley, it is nice to know that at least somebody speaks with received pronunciation in NC, because I'm yet to meet that person.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 17:36

Jean. Are you saying that Paul is common?

westender


Joined: 14/05/2009
Posts: 328

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 18:23

I was flicking through the channels on tv this morning and was shocked to read on bid up tv , their a bargain price-should have read they're a bargain price. I have also seen mis-spellings on the BBC, now if they get it wrong what hope for the rest of us?

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 19:04

No 1 , Paul common, no way, however he has to change his photo as another board claims its me in drag x When i listen to Paul and Jean speaking I can now detect the difference in dialect. BBC makes mistakes never, they will be reverting to text language soon. Mind you try to tell the difference in welsh

. I can differentiate between north ans south, but the valley welsh takes some understanding

chookie


Joined: 28/09/2010
Posts: 20

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 19:45

The letter is aitch. It is not pronounced aitch, haitch, or any other variant spelling of the word. it is pronounced by by expelling the breath quickly, as if you are panting like a dog.

The pronunciation of the letter has no correlation with the spelling of the letter. Pronunciation and spelling are not the same thing- just run through the alphabet.

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 20:44

I agree with Chookie Msg 45

Hard to explain but it's an audible exhaled breath before the aitch is uttered otherwise it sounds like a cockney accent. Nothing wrong with that!

Hard to spell a pant of hot air!



Richard

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 20:46

It's like the word 'autumn' - why do they put an 'n' at the end?

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 20:53

Bill

The one that gets me is the word 'pardon'. Should be spoken with a soft 'D' but many pronounce it with a hard 'D' so comes out 'par-Don'. Does my head in!



Richard

Maz


Joined: 29/03/2009
Posts: 1924

Message Posted:
31/10/2010 22:43

Take a look at Widipedia and other googled matters. The argument rages! But I am happy with 'haitch' especially as it says that many born since 1982 use 'haitch' so maybe that is the more modern.

jimchris09


Joined: 13/02/2009
Posts: 547

Message Posted:
01/11/2010 16:31

I think the following words from the late, great, Kingsley Amis, in his book The King's English should be a consideration for all...



BERKS are careless, coarse, crass, gross and of what anybody would agree is a lower social class than one's own. They speak in a slipshod way with dropped Hs, intruded glottal stops and many mistakes in grammar. Left to them the English language would die of impurity, like late Latin.



WANKERS are prissy, fussy, priggish, prim and of what they would probably misrepresent as a higher social class than one's own. They speak in an over-precise way with much pedantic insistence on letters not generally sounded, especially Hs. left to them the English language would die of purity, like medieval Latin.



Amis notes that most speakers and writers try to "..pursue a course between the slipshod and the punctilious...this is healthy for them and the language."

jimchris09


Joined: 13/02/2009
Posts: 547

Message Posted:
01/11/2010 17:12

Sorry about the typo! It should be "Left to them..." in last sentence of 3rd paragraph.

keyholekate


Joined: 08/05/2009
Posts: 81

Message Posted:
01/11/2010 17:16

definitely aitch. I spent years drilling this into Primary School children.

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
01/11/2010 17:46

Msg 52

God help your Primary School children! So, hat becomes at!



Richard

harita


Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 1343

Message Posted:
01/11/2010 17:56

My name is Harry .. Pronounced Arry .. I don't think so ..

Not in Lancashire anyway ..

chookie


Joined: 28/09/2010
Posts: 20

Message Posted:
01/11/2010 19:41

Sorry to keep going on, but many seem to miss the point. If you are called Harry, then the H is pronounced by expelling the breath. If someone calls you Arry then they are not pronouncing the H, so it is not so much how H is pronounced but whether it is pronounced at all.

With respect to No 1 Doyen who opened the topic, the original question was "How do you pronounce the letter H" and the answer is by exhaling in a pant.

Possibly the question should have been "how do you spell the letter H ?" It appears that these days aitch or haitch are accepted, but my old elocution teacher, as well as my English teacher would both be birling ( a guid auld scots word) in their graves at how misuse has changed aitch to haitch.

As it is only a matter of time before somebody says it - can we drop the H now?

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
01/11/2010 20:50

Msg 55

I concur but you're beating yourself up against the 'T-shirt & Tattoo Brigade' who are in the majority!



Richard

rowlo



Joined: 12/10/2008
Posts: 4796

Message Posted:
01/11/2010 21:08

there is obviously no H authors write ,we stayed in an hotel ? they must mean ,we stayed in an otel ? if the H was alive ,then surely it would read , we stayed in a hotel ?

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
01/11/2010 21:16

Msg 57

AN before the word starting with a vowel, A, E, I, O, U.

The last three of which all TRNC Advocates owe to their expatriate clients!



Richard

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
01/11/2010 22:24

Spot on Rowlo.

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
01/11/2010 22:30

Rowlo

Stick with the mints!



Richard

rowlo



Joined: 12/10/2008
Posts: 4796

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 17:35

will do ricard , ow about tis one , MUVER , wats tat all about ?

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 17:42

Rowlo

Try asking your wife, "Did the earth move for you?"!



Richard

rowlo



Joined: 12/10/2008
Posts: 4796

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 17:48

asked her , she said only when she was digging the garden ?

bigOz


Joined: 29/09/2010
Posts: 1244

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 17:52

So the Yanks must be correct in saying "ain't" instead of Haven't! I mean aitch and ain't rhyme don't ya think?

Why on earth the Brits decided to call it "aitch" then? Can someone throw some light on it for us foreigners please? My life will never be the same if I do not find out so pleeazzzze! anyone?

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 17:58

OZ to Kiwi joke

What's indu?





























Lays eggs!



Richard

measey


Joined: 07/02/2009
Posts: 1037

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 18:01

deleted under rule 3.

bigOz


Joined: 29/09/2010
Posts: 1244

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 18:11

Richard, I may be called bigOz, but it is in no way related to Australia! Nice joke. (eeerrm! I guess! I am still trying to figure it out though...)

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 18:35

Sorry, should have run as, 'What's a indu?'. It's a Kiwi accent thing!



Richard

bigOz


Joined: 29/09/2010
Posts: 1244

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 18:42

Got it!!! Sory Richard, there are no smilies to expres laughter here...

MartinM


Joined: 03/10/2009
Posts: 166

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 19:20

The reason for the "n" on the end of Autumn is so that one may construct the adjective Autumnal.



By the way it is aytch, irrespective of how popular the other pronounciation has become since 1982 !

keyholekate


Joined: 08/05/2009
Posts: 81

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 19:35

Brinsley, The original question was about the pronunciation of the name of the letter H, not its usage.

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 19:38

Msg 71

Whatever!



Richard

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 19:40

BigOz



you can do smilies, here it's about the only special function on this feature-poor board... just type a colon : followed by a right bracket ) and it puts up

shrimp


Joined: 01/09/2010
Posts: 939

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 19:46

just seeing if it works.............hang on

shrimp


Joined: 01/09/2010
Posts: 939

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 19:48

Wow it does........

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 19:53

No such luck, I'll stick to !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Richard

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
02/11/2010 19:55

Sorry, should be h-explanation mark!



Richard

chookie


Joined: 28/09/2010
Posts: 20

Message Posted:
03/11/2010 09:37

keyholekate It isn't, its about the pronunciation of the letter H initially, and then is confused by stating that it is pronounced aytch or haytch. The name of the letter is pronounced aitch, or aytch.

The discussion then became even more clouded by people writing about names and words beginning with H and dropping the H in the pronunciation e.g Harry- Arry. or the reverse understood-hunderstood, all irrelevant.

As a rule if the H is at the beginning of the word it is pronounced, unless you are the French footballer Terry Henry, who prefers to be called Thieri Henri.

apc2010


Joined: 28/07/2010
Posts: 1689

Message Posted:
11/12/2010 20:37

what about" arry"

rowlo



Joined: 12/10/2008
Posts: 4796

Message Posted:
11/12/2010 21:15

that dont count guvnor,

Maz


Joined: 29/03/2009
Posts: 1924

Message Posted:
11/12/2010 21:43

Or Italian. They don't pronounce an 'h' not even in English! Charming!

shrimp


Joined: 01/09/2010
Posts: 939

Message Posted:
16/01/2011 16:04

Doing an english assignment paper I had to explain to my grandson that any noun beginning with A,E,I,O, or U is prefixed with "an"......you cant for example have a apple, or a umbrella, it has to be an apple, or an umbrella, which is fine BUT why does a hotel have to be an hotel??? H is not included.....was once apon a time the word Hotel ....otel???? and have we highjacked the word to make it sound more posh??? Does anyone have any ideas???

arrry



Joined: 19/08/2008
Posts: 1235

Message Posted:
16/01/2011 16:16

arry with out the" h " thank you LOL

arrry



Joined: 19/08/2008
Posts: 1235

Message Posted:
16/01/2011 16:41

arry with out the" h " thank you LOL