English spellings/Catalogs/H

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This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with H. To see a different letter (or the main page) navigate with the table at the top.

H

H = âitch

hà

ha hà laughter

hà-hà fence

hâbeas cŏrpus *hâbius

háckneyed *hácknid

haemoglôbin - haê-

haemophília - haê-

haémorrhage *hémmoridge, *hémerage

haémorrhoid -rŏid

haemostâsis

Hâgue person, Netherlands = Hâig = Hâigh persons

hâil stones, greeting = hâle hearty

hãir head = hãre animal

Hâiti rhymes with Kâty, *Hâtey, cf. hâte, Tahìti

hàjj or hàdj

hālf *hàf; AmE *háf

hâlfpenny *hâypəny

håll building = håul pull, rob, cf. Hál person

hallelûjah - j as y: *hallelûya

hállôw cf. hallô

hålt

hālve half AmE ≈ háve own, though hálve tends to be longer

Hamàs

hámlet -lít, cf. hám ómelette

hámster *hámpster, cf. hámper, Hámpstead

hándbag can be *hámbag

hándedness *hándidnis

hándkerchìêf *hánkerchêaf

hándle touch, door = Hándel, Hándl persons

hándout noun one word

hándover noun one word

hándwrítten one word

hángar plane = hánger clothes

Hanŏi

Hánover has one n in English, two in German

Haràrê

haráss AmE; BrE *hárras, cf. Hárrís person

hàrem or hãrem

hàrk cf. heàrken

hàrpsichord -kŏrd

hássle cf. hústle, *hússle

hâsten *hâyssən

hâte love = Hâight Ashbury

hâtred -íd cf. pûtríd

hautëur *ôat-ër

háve can sound like *háff when emphasized before an unvoiced consonant: I *háff to sêe hím

háve-nóts haves

Hawàiì

Håwes

håwk

håwthorn plant = Håwthorne person

hây farm = hèy exclamation

Haŷdn cf. Hâydon = Hâyden

hâ’p’orth *hâypərth (contraction of hâlfpennyworth *hâpnywərth)

héad cf. hêed

héalth

hêar, hêar! agree

hëard hear = hërd animals, cf. hàrd firm

heàrken cf. hàrk

hêarsay

hëarse

heàrt beat = hàrt deer = Hàrt person

heàrtfélt one word

heàrth

heàrtthrob *heàrt thrób - accidental tt

hêath

hêathen -dhən

héather rhymes with wéather -dh-

hêave

héaven

héavy

héavywèight boxing *hévviwâit, one word, cf. héavy wèight literal

hêed cf. héad

hêe hêe laugh cf. hê him

hêel foot = hêal cure

hegémony - hard g or j

Heîdelberg

héifer cow = Héffer person

heîght *hîte cf. hîgh = hî

heîghten high = Huŷton England

hèinous

Heînz *Hŷnts: in the 1950s, with memories of the Second World War still fresh, the company of this name pronounced itself Hînes *Hŷnze

héir heiress = ãir breathe

hélicopter cf. hêlium

héllhole one word

hellô or hallô or hullô

hém - but not many other words begin this way, haém- being more common

hémidemisémiquaver

hémisphêre

hërd animals = hëard hear, cf. hàrd soft

hêre there = hêar sound

Héreford

héretic

herétical

hêro

héron

hérôín drug = hérôíne hero cf. méscalíne

heteroséxual cf. métro, rétro

heurístic - û

heŵ wood = hûe colour = Hûgh = Hûw persons

hèydây one word

he’s he is = hís belonging to him - but can be...

hê’s *hêez

hîâtus *hîgh-èight-us

híccúp can be spelt, but not pronounced híccoúgh, cf. cóugh *cóff

hídden

hídeous *hídìəss

hîdeòut

hîeràrchy *hîeràrky

hîgh height = hî hello

hîghbròw one word, *hîbròw

hilãrious

Hílary usual = Híllary Edmund, Clinton

hînd

hínder

híndrance -drənss

híppocratic cf. hypocrítical

hîre rent ≈ hîgher high

hís he *hízz, cf. híss snake, hê’s or he’s

históric

hítchhîke second h aspirated

hŏar frost = whŏre prostitute = Hŏare person

Hîte person = heîght high

hŏard store = hŏrde gang

hŏarse voice = hŏrse animal

hôax

hóbnób one word

hóck as in ín hóck, cf. ád hóc

hôe garden cf. hô hô laughter

hôld hand = hôled golf

hôle gap = whôle complete

hóliday vacation = Hólliday person = Hóliday Billie

hólly cf. hôly

Hóllywoòd

Hôlmes person = hômes living; or Hólmes, with l pronounced or hinted at

hólocaust

hôly sacred ≈ whôlly completely, which has the two l’s pronounced

Hólyhéad

Hôlyroôd

hómage - unlike French, only one m

homêopáthic AmE; BrE homoêo-

homêópathy AmE; BrE homoêó-

hômewörk one word

hómicide

homógeneous -jenəss or homogêneous rhyming with gênius

hómoným

hômo sápiens

homoséxual

Hóng Kóng *Honkóng

hône

hónest *ónnist

honoràrium ón-

hónorary ón-

honorífic ón-

hónour *ónner, AmE hónor

hónourable ón-, AmE hónorable

hoòdwink

hoòk

hoòkah pipe *hùkə = BrE hoòker prostitute, rugby

hoôver carpet is from Hoôver person

hôping hope cf. hópping hop

Hórace rhymes with Bóris, Dóris, Nórris and Mórris

hŏrde gang = hŏard store

horrífic

hórror

hŏrs d’oëuvre *ŏr-dërvrə

hŏrse animal = hŏarse croak

hóspice -íss

hóspital

hóspitalised

hôst

hóstage

hóthead as if two words

hóthòuse as if two words

hóugh leg = hóck pawn

hòur time = òur us

hòuse noun -ss, verb -z

hòuses -zíz

Hòusman *Hòuseman -ss-

Hoûston *Hoôston

howéver one word

hòwl wolf cf. òwl bird

hûbris

hûe colour = Hûgh person = hêw cut = Hûw Welshman

Hûghes person = heŵs hew

hullabaloô

hûman

hûmor AmE; BrE hûmour

hûmorist

hûmorous (*hûmourous is a common error) humour = hûmerus bone

húndred

Húngary country - three syllables ≈ húngry

hunger - two syllables

hústle *hússle, cf. hássle

Huŷton *Hîghton

hŷgiene

hygiênic BrE; AmE hygiénic

hýmn church = hím he

hŷper- very

hypercrítical critical

hypócrisy cf. hýpocríte, demócracy, hippocrátic

hypocrítical hypocrite

hystêria

hystérical