h
The /h/ sound: h as in hat
- Consonant
- Voiceless
- Medium priority
Hear it
in hat
- Lips
- Relaxed
- Tongue
- Resting; the sound is in the throat
- Voice
- Off: only air
- Air
- Squeezed through a narrow gap
The sound on its own: recording by Wikimedia Commons contributor, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. Credits
How to make /h/
- 1
Open your mouth in the position of the next vowel.
- 2
Push out a gentle breath from the throat, like fogging a mirror.
- 3
Keep it light: no friction or scraping at the back of the mouth.
- Sounds like
- a gentle sigh before a vowel
How /h/ is spelled
hwh
The usual mistake
Dropping it ('hair' → 'air', common for French and Italian speakers) or making it harsh like /x/ ('loch', common for Spanish, Russian and Arabic speakers).
Hardest for speakers of
Words to practise
Say it and get scored
Read hat, behind, who, perhaps, whole aloud. Free, no account.
Questions
How do you pronounce the /h/ sound?
Open your mouth in the position of the next vowel. Push out a gentle breath from the throat, like fogging a mirror. Keep it light: no friction or scraping at the back of the mouth.
What is the most common mistake with /h/?
Dropping it ('hair' → 'air', common for French and Italian speakers) or making it harsh like /x/ ('loch', common for Spanish, Russian and Arabic speakers).
Which spellings make the /h/ sound?
Common spellings include “h”, “wh”, as in hat /hæt/, behind /bɪˈhaɪnd/, who /huː/.
Does /h/ matter for IELTS?
It matters moderately. Errors are noticeable but only sometimes affect understanding. Fix the high-priority vowel contrasts and final consonants first, then polish this one.