PRONUNCIATION: The sound /h/

In our first languages, Spanish and Galician, the spelling <h> is not pronounced but in English in most cases it is; the sound that matches <h> is /h/. Watch the video below to learn how it is pronounced.

NOTE that Spanish and Galician speakers tend to pronounce /h/ as in “jamón” or “gemelo” but this is NOT the same sound. /h/ is similar to the sound pronounced in gheada as in “ghato”

Letter /h/ Sound - Phonics by Turtle en YouTube. Licenza de YouTube estándar

 

Listen to these pairs of words. In the words on the left the first sound is /h/. In the words of the right the first sound is a vowel, can you hear the difference? Listen and repeat.

Ana Losada e José Luis Murado. CC BY-SA

Ana Losada e José Luis Murado. CC BY-SA