The letter h
is not always silent, but we will study some cases when it is not
pronounced.
There is not a 100% certain rule about when you must pronounce the
letter h,
so be sure to check the pronunciation of new words in a dictionary if you are not sure.
Also, it is a good idea to keep a list of words with silent letters to
help you remember. This article will cover the most common words with a
silent h.
For example, the h
is sometimes silent at the beginning of words.
If you want to know how long something takes, you can use an hourglass.
The sand moves from the top to the bottom during a certain amount of
time, for example, one hour.
The h is
silent at the beginning of the word hour.
Here are some more examples of words with a silent h at the beginning:
honor
honest
heir
You can also find a silent h
after the letter c
in some very common English words.
For example, if your car is not working, you must take it to the mechanic.
In this word, the h
is silent. We only pronounce the sound of the letter c.
Remember that the h
is only sometimes
silent after the letter c.
Here are some more examples of words with a silent h after the letter c to add to your
list:
chorus
chemistry
technology
echo
stomach
school
The h is
also often silent after the letter w.
However, this will depend a bit on the accent of the person who is
speaking.
For example, the coach uses his whistle
to get the players' attention.
This silent h
is common in question words and a few other common words in English:
why
what
when
where
which
whisper
white
wheel
while
Finally, the h
is also sometimes
silent after the letter g,
the letter r,
or the ex-
combination.
For example, drums are very important because they maintain the rhythm
of the music.
Here are some common words with a silent h after the letter g or the letter r:
ghost
rhyme
rhinoceros
exhibit
exhausted
You
will see some more examples as you continue to study English, but these
are the most common words you will find with a silent h.
Look at our worksheet on the silent h
for practice
and review.
Review
So, let's review what we have learned about the silent h in English:
The h
is only sometimes
silent.
This happens often after the letter w at the beginning
of a word.
It also sometimes
happens after the letters c,
g, r, or ex-.