French Pronunciation of the Letter H

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

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1 French Words With H

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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