In this article, I am going to explain the French Pronunciation of the Letter H.
In French, the letter H is typically silent, but there are two categories of H’s: “H muet” and “H aspiré.” The type of H found at the beginning of a word determines whether contractions and liaisons should be made with that word. To identify whether an H in a specific word is muet or aspiré, consult a reputable French dictionary, where you’ll find an asterisk or another symbol to differentiate between the two types of H’s. This distinction helps in understanding when to pronounce the H and when to treat it as silent.
Check also: When to Choose Between ‘À’ and ‘De’ in French: Usage Guidelines
French Words With H
- haut (high)
- hiver (winter)
- homme (man)
- hôtel (hotel)
- hockey (hockey)
H Muet
The majority of French H’s are considered “muet” or silent, meaning they are not pronounced. This results in contractions and liaisons when the word begins with an H. For instance, “le” + “homme” contracts to “l’homme,” and “les hommes” is pronounced with a liaison [lay zuhm].
Here are some common French words that feature the silent H at the beginning, with the gender provided for nouns:
- habiliter (to enable)
- habiller (to dress)
- habit (m) (clothing)
- habiter (to live in)
- habitude (f) (habit)
- hagard (distracted)
- haleine (f) (breath)
- Halloween (f) (Halloween)
- halluciner (to hallucinate)
- hameau (m) (hamlet)
- hantise (f) (obsession)
- harmonie (f) (harmony)
- harnais (m) (harness)
- hasard (m) (chance)
- hâte (f) (haste)
- hauteur (f) (height)
- héberger (to house)
- hémisphère (m) (hemisphere)
- héros (m) (hero)
- hésiter (to hesitate)
- heurter (to strike)
- hideux (hideous)
- histoire (f) (story, history)
- histoire d’amour (f) (love story)
- hiver (m) (winter)
- hoche-la-tête (m) (nod)
- hôtel (m) (hotel)
- humain (m) (human)
- humble (humble)
- hussard (m) (hussar)
- haricot (m) – bean
- harmonie (f) – harmony
- hôpital (m) – hospital
- hiver (m) – winter
- honnête (honest)
- hôtel (m) – hotel
- hameau (m) – hamlet
- hantise (f) – obsession
- harmonica (m) – harmonica
- horloge (f) – clock
H Aspiré
In French, some words borrowed from other languages have an “H” at the beginning that is not pronounced, but it’s still treated like a consonant. This means you can’t make contractions or liaisons with it. For example, the word “hockey” doesn’t contract with “le” to become “l’hockey”; it stays as “le hockey.” Also, “les héros” (the heroes) is pronounced without a liaison, like [lay ay ro]. If you used a liaison, it would sound like “les zéros” (the zeros).
Here are some common French words that have this silent “H” at the beginning.
- hâbleur – boaster
- la hache – axe
- hacher – to chop
- le hachisch – hashish
- le haddock – haddock
- la haie – hedge
- le haïku – haiku
- le haillon – rag
- la haine – hatred
- haïr – to hate
- haïssable – detestable
- halal – halal
- le hâle – suntan
- haleter – to pant
- le hall – hall
- la halle – market
- le hallier – thicket, brush
- le halo – halo
- la halte – break
- le hamac – hammock
- le hamburger – hamburger
- le hameau – hamlet
- le hammam – hammam
- la hampe – pole
- le hamster – hamster
- la hanche – hip
- le hand-ball – handball
- le handicap – handicap
- le hangar – shed
- hanter – to haunt
- happer – to snatch, grab
- harangue – harangue
- harasser – to exhaust
- harceler – to harass
- la harde – herd
- harder – to leash
- hardi – daring
- le hareng – herring
- la hargne – spiteful anger
- le haricot – bean
- harnacher – to harness
- le harpail – herd
- la harpe – harp
- le harpon – harpoon
- le hasard – luck, chance
- la hâte – haste
- hâter – to hasten
- haut – high
- la hauteur – height
- le havre – haven
- hercher – to haul
- le hère – wretch, young stag
- le hérisson – hedgehog
- la hernie – hernia
- le héron – heron
- le héros – hero
- la herse – hearse, harrow
- le hêtre – beech tree
- heurter – to strike
- le hiatus – hiatus
- le hibou – owl
- le hic – snag
- le hickory – hickory
- hideux – hideous
- la hiérarchie – hierarchy
- le hiéroglyphe – hieroglyph
- hippie – hippie
- hisser – to hoist, heave, haul
- le hobby – hobby
- hocher – to nod
- le hockey – hockey
- la Hollande – Holland
- le homard – lobster
- Hong-Kong – Hong Kong
- la Hongrie – Hungary
- la honte – shame
- le hoquet – hiccup
- hors – outside
- la houe – hoe
- la houille – coal
- la houle – swell
- houleux – stormy
- le hooligan – hooligan
- la houppe – tuft
- houspiller – to scold
- la housse – cover
- housser – to cover
- le houx – holly
- le hublot – porthole
- la huche – chest, trunk
- huer – to boo
- le huguenot – Huguenot
- huit – eight
- hululer – to hoot
- humer – to smell
- hurler – to shriek
Conclusion
Mastering the pronunciation of the letter H in French is a key step towards fluency, as it determines when to make liaisons and contractions, influencing the flow of spoken French. Understanding the distinction between H muet and H aspiré is essential for clear and accurate pronunciation.
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