English spellings/Catalogs/H
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| Alphabetical word list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retroalphabetical list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common misspellings |
This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with H. To see a different letter navigate with the table above. The apostrophe is treated as the last letter of the alphabet, after Z.
For a pronunciation key, click on the blue "Catalogs" link below the article title.[e]
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 Netherlands = Hâig = Hâigh
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 *hánkerchêef
hándle touch, door = Hándel, Hándl hándout noun one word
hándover noun one word
hándwrítten one word
hángar plane = hánger clothes
hángover noun one word
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, cf. hèydây
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 or hêinous
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
heŵ wood = hûe colour = Hûgh = Hûw
hèydây one word, cf. hây
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
Honolûlu
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
hòusekeeper, hòusekeeping each one word
hòuses -zíz
Hòusman *Hòuseman -ss-
Hoûston *Hoôston
howéver one word
hòwl wolf cf. òwl bird
hûbris
hûe colour = Hûgh person = hêw cut = Hûw Welshman
húff = Hoúgh
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
hydråulic may sound like *hydrólic
hŷgiene
hygiênic BrE; AmE hygiénic
hyêna or hyaêna
hýmn church = hím he
hŷper- very
hypercrítical critical
hypócrisy cf. hýpocríte, demócracy, hippocrátic
hypocrítical hypocrite
hystêria
hystérical