h sound

Core Rule

The letter h represents a voiceless glottal fricative. It is produced by airflow through the open vocal cords without vibration. It often appears at the beginning of words, though in some cases it is silent due to historical spelling.

Articulation Guide

Keep the tongue relaxed and low. The mouth shape follows the next vowel. Focus on a clear breath release before the vowel, with no voicing.

Word Analysis

hutch /hʌtʃ/: start with a clean burst of air /h/, move into the short vowel /ʌ/, and finish with the affricate /tʃ/. The /h/ sets a sharp onset.

Pitfalls

Do not drop /h/ in stressed positions, and avoid confusing it with digraphs like ch or wh.