English spellings/Catalogs/H

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Use in English
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]

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H = âitch

hà

Hàarlem Netherlands = Hàrlem New York

ha hà laughter

hà-hà fence

hâbeas cŏrpus *hâbius

hábit rhymes with rábbit

Hábsburg Háps-

hácek *hátchek

háckneyed *hácknid

hádrón; some say hâdrón

haemátocrit, hemátocrit

haemoglôbin - haê-

haemophília - haê-

haémorrhage *hémmoridge, *hémerage

haémorrhoid -rŏid

haemostâsis

Hâgue = Hâig = Hâigh, cf. The Hâgue Netherlands, capital T

hàh

haîku

hâil stones, greeting = hâle hearty

hãir head = hãre animal

hãircút one word

hãirdo *hãirdu

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

Hâitian -shən

Hàjj or Hájj

Hâley Bill = Hâyley Mills = Hâiley

hālf *hàf; AmE *háf

hâlfpenny *hâypəny

hálibut

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

hallelûjah - j as y: *hallelûya

Hálley Edmund

hállôw cf. hallô

Hallowêen (sometimes pedantically written with an apostrophe -we'en to indicate the missing 'v' of '-even')

hålt

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

Hamàs AmE; BrE Hamás

hámlet -lít, cf. hám ómelette

hámper hinder, basket

hámster *hámpster, cf. hámper, Hámpstead

Hamtrámck, Michigan, has an invisible i: *Hám-trámíck

hándbag can sound like *hámbag

hándedness *hándidnis

hándful

hándkerchìêf *hánkerchêef

hándle touch, door = Hándel, Hándl

hándout noun one word

hándôver noun one word

hándshâke noun one word

hándwrítten one word

hángar plane = hánger clothes

hángover noun one word

hánky, short for hándkerchìêf, both hánk-

hánky-pánky

Hánna family name = Hánnah personal name

Hanŏi

*hânous hèinous

Hánover has one n in English, two in German

hánsom cab ≈ hándsome good-looking

harakíri or hara-kíri

harángue *haráng

Haràrê

haráss AmE; BrE *hárras, cf. Hárrís person

hàrbinger -jer

hàrem or hãrem

hãre animal = hãir fur

hãre-brâined

hàrk cf. heàrken

hàrpsichord -kŏrd

Harrôvian

hárrow = Hárrow

hàrt stag = Hàrt = heàrt beat

Hàrtlepool *Hàrtlípoôl

hássle cf. hústle, *hússle

hâsten *hâyssən

hâte love = Hâight Ashbury

hâtred -íd cf. pûtríd

håul take = håll way

hautëur *ôat-ër

Havána

Hávant = háven't

have weak form = of weak form: *əv, hence some mistakenly write "I should of gone" for Î shoùld have góne = Î shoùld've góne

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

hâven cf. héaven

háve-nóts haves

Haverfordwést *Hávverford Wést

Hawaîì *Həwîêe

Håwes

håwk

håwthorn plant = Håwthorne person

hây farm = Hây = Hâye = hèy exclamation, cf. hèydây

Haŷdn cf. Hâydon = Hâyden

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

héad cf. hêed

héalth

héalthcãre adjective one word; noun can be one or two

hêap = Hêep Uriah

hêar, hêar! agree

hëard hear = hërd animals = Hürd person, 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-

hêatwave one word

hêave

héaven, cf. hâven, hêathen

héavy

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

héctãre

héctor = Héctor

hêed cf. héad

hêe hêe laugh cf. hê him

hêel foot = hêal cure

hegemony BrE *higémony (hard or soft g), AmE *héjəmôny (soft g) or *həgémony

Heîdelberg

Heîdi

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

heîst

hélicopter cf. hêlium

héllhole one word

hellô (or hallô or hullô, but these are now much less common)

Helmánd, Hélmand

hém

hémidemisémiquaver

Hémingway Ernest

hémisphêre

Hémmings David

Héndricks = Héndriks = Héndrix

hërb, hërbal, hërbicide: h silent in AmE

Hërb Herbert = BrE hërb plant

hërd animals = hëard hear = Hürd person, cf. hàrd soft

hêre there = hêar sound

hêre, hêre! expressing agreement should be hêar, hêar!

*hêresay hêarsay

Héreford

héretic

herétical

Hermîonê

Hërne Bây cf. Hëarne

hêro

Heródotus

hêroes

hérôín drug = hérôíne hero *hérrowín, cf. méscalíne, hárrowing

héron

hërpês

Hertfordshire Hàrt-

Herzegóvina, Herzegovìna, Hérts-

heterogêneous rhymes with gênius

heteroséxual cf. métro, rétro

heurístic

heŵ wood = hûe colour, cry = Hûgh = Hûw

hèydây one word, cf. hây

he's he is = hís belonging to him *híz, or hê’s *hêez

hîâtus *hîgh-èight-us

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

hídden

hídeous *hídìəss

hîdeòut

hîeràrchy *hîeràrky

hieroglýphics - hî-

Hierónymus *Híər-ónimus rhymes with anónymous

hîgh height = hî hello

hîgh jínks fun *hyjínx, cf. jínx curse

hîghbròw one word, *hîbròw

hilãrious

Hílary usual = Híllary Edmund, Clinton

Híllsborough *Hílzbrə

hînd

hínder

híndrance -drənss

híp hóp, first stressed

Hippócratês, hippocrátic cf. hypocrítical

hîre rent ≈ hîgher high

Hiróshima: some stress the second i, though words ending in -shima and -shita have this i silent in Japanese

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

históric

hítchhîke one word, first and third hs aspirated

Hîte person = heîght high

hŏar frost = whŏre prostitute = Hŏare = Hŏre person

hŏard store = hŏrde gang

hŏarse voice = hŏrse animal

hôax

hóbnâil one word

hóbnób one word

hóck as in ín hóck, cf. ád hóc

hôe garden cf. hô hô laughter

hŏick

hŏi pollŏi

hǒist

Hôlborn rhymes with Wôburn

hôld hand = hôled golf; hôled up trapped = hôld up attack

hôle gap = whôle complete

hóliday vacation = Hólliday person = Hóliday Billie

hólly cf. hôly

Hóllywoòd cf. Hóly-

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

Hólyroôd

hómage: unlike French, only one m; the h is traditionally pronounced in English: a hómage *ə hómij

hôme (but Home Alec = Hûme David)

homêopáthic AmE; BrE homoêo-

homêópathy AmE; BrE homoêó-

Hômer

Hómerton

hômewörk one word

hómicide

homógeneous -jenəss or homogêneous rhyming with gênius

hómoným

hômo sápiens

homoséxual

Hóng Kóng *Honkóng

hône

hónest *ónnist

Honolûlu

hónor AmE, BrE hónour *ónner

honoràrium ón-

hónorary ón-

honorífic ón-

hónour BrE, AmE hónor *ónner

hónourable ón- BrE, AmE hónorable, cf. hónorary

hoòd

hoôdlum

hoòdwink

hoòk

hoòkah pipe *hùkə = BrE hoòker prostitute, rugby

Hoôsier AmE *Hûzhr

hoôver carpet is from Hoôver person

hôping hope cf. hópping hop

Hórace rhymes with Bóris, Dóris, Nórris and Mórris

hŏrde gang = hŏard store

hŏrn = Hŏrn = Hŏrne

horrífic

hórror BrE; AmE = whŏre

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 = hòw's how is, -z

hòusekeeper, hòusekeeping each one word

hòuses -zíz

Hòusman *Hòuseman -ss-

Hoûston AmE *Hyûston, BrE *Hoôston

Hoûthi *Hoôty

hòw = Hòwe

Hòwarth = Hàworth

Hòwell ≈ hòwl

howéver one word

hòwl wolf cf. òwl bird

Htín Kyåw *Dín Jåw

hû- = heŵ *hyoô

hûbris

hûe colour = Hûw = Hûgh persons = hêw cut *hyoô

hûe and crŷ

húff = Hoúgh

hûge *hyoôj, some American *yoôj

Hûghes person = heŵs hew *Hyoôz

Hûguenot *Hyoôgənô

hullabaloô

hûman hyoôm-

humanitãrian hyoômán-

humánity hyoôm-

húmble

húmbling

húmbug

humíliate hyoôm-

humílity hyoôm-

hûmor AmE; BrE hûmour hyoôm-

hûmorist; BrE also has hûmourist hyoôm-

hûmorous; BrE also has hûmourous = hûmerus bone hyoôm-

húnchback one word

húndred

Húngary country (three syllables, with schwa) ≈ húngry (two, no schwa); in both, hard g sounded

hunger: two syllables, hard g sounded

Húngerford: no hard g sound, ng only

húrricane BrE -kən

Hürst = Hïrst Damien

húsky dog, voice, plural húskies

hussàr *hù-zàr

hústle *hússle, cf. hássle

Huŷton *Hŷton = heîghten

Hŷderabád

hydråulic may sound like *hŷ-drólic

hŷgiene

hygiênic BrE; AmE hygiénic (both ŷ)

hyêna or hyaêna

hýmn church = hím he

hŷpe is short for hypërbolê

hŷper- very

hypërbolê hŷp-

hypercrítical critical

hypócrisy hýp-, cf. hýpocríte, demócracy, Hippócratês, hippocrátic

hypocrítical hypocrite

hystêria rhymes with wistêria (-íst-); some AmE: hystéria

hystérical

Hyúndé