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Learners of the English language may be perplexed by silent letters. Silent letters are letters that appear in a word’s orthography but are not pronounced when the word is spoken. The letter ‘H’ is a common silent letter in English. This lesson will provide you with a list of words that start with the letter ‘H’ but are pronounced differently. Understanding these words and how to pronounce them can help you become a better English speaker and reader.
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Silent Words With “H”
| Ache | Anchor | Archaeology | Architect |
| Character | Charisma | Chemical | Chlorine |
| Chord | Choreograph | Chrome | Echo |
| Honest | Hour | Mechanic | Monarchy |
| Psychic | Rhythm | Scheme | School |
| Tech | What | When | Where |
| Which | While | White | Why |
| Chaos | Choir | Orchestra | Ghost |
The Silent “H” Pronunciation Rules
Here are some simple rules for the silent “H” pronunciation 🙂
Rule 1: H at the beginning: When a word starts with an “H,” it’s usually pronounced, like in “happy” or “house.”
Rule 2: H in some words: In some words, the “H” is silent, which means you don’t say it out loud. This often happens in words that come from other languages or have specific pronunciations. For example, “honest,” “hour,” and “herb” have a silent “H.”
Rule 3: H in compound words: When two words are combined to make one, like “postman” (post + man), the “H” might be silent. So, it’s pronounced like “postman,” not “phostman.”
Rule 4: H in certain accents: Some English accents, like in British English, pronounce the “H” differently. For example, in British English, “herb” is often pronounced with the “H,” while in American English, it’s silent.
Silent ‘H’ at the Beginning of Words
- Honest
- Hour
- Heir
- Honor
- Herb
Silent ‘H’ in the Middle of Words
- Vehicle
- Exhaust
- Ghostly
- Rhythm
- School
Silent ‘H’ at the End of Words
- Exhaust
- Alphanumeric
- Sheath
- Asthma
- Clothe
Silent ‘H’ in Common Phrases
- “An hour”
- “In honor of”
- “An heir to the throne”
- “An honest person”
Silent Words With “H” With Example Sentences
Ache
- My toothache hurts.
- Her head aches.
Anchor
- Drop the anchor.
- The ship’s anchor held.
Archaeology
- He studies archaeology.
- Archaeology reveals history.
Architect
- She’s an architect.
- Hire an architect.
Chaos
- The room’s chaos.
- Chaos reigns here.
Character
- Strong character.
- Show character.
Charisma
- His charisma shines.
- She has charisma.
Chemical
- Mixing chemicals.
- Chemical reaction.
Chlorine
- The pool has chlorine.
- Add chlorine safely.
Choir
- Join the choir.
- The choir sings well.
Chord
- Play a chord.
- Guitar chord book.
Choreograph
- Choreograph the dance.
- She can choreograph.
Chrome
- Shiny chrome.
- Chrome car parts.
Echo
- Echo in a cave.
- Her words echo.
Ghost
- I saw a ghost.
- Ghost stories scare.
Honest
- Always be honest.
- He’s brutally honest.
Hour
- It’s lunch hour.
- One hour later.
Mechanic
- Call a mechanic.
- He’s a mechanic.
Monarchy
- The monarchy ended.
- A constitutional monarchy.
Orchestra
- The orchestra played.
- Join the orchestra.
Psychic
- She’s a psychic.
- Psychic readings.
Rhythm
- Feel the rhythm.
- Dance to the rhythm.
Scheme
- He had a scheme.
- It’s a clever scheme.
School
- Go to school.
- School starts early.
Stomach
- My stomach hurts.
- He has a strong stomach.
Tech
- I work in tech.
- The latest tech.
What
- What is that?
- What’s your name?
When
- When is it?
- I’ll see you when.
Where
- Where is she?
- Tell me where.
Whether
- I’ll go whether.
- It depends on whether.
Which
- Which one is it?
- Choose which you like.
While
- Read while waiting.
- I’ll rest a while.
White
- The paper is white.
- She wore white.
Why
- Why did you go?
- Tell me why.
Silent Words With “H” | Picture
Silent Words With The Letter H in English
