h
/aʃ/
The English letter h is written as h in French.
In French, the letter h is often categorized as h muet (mute h) or H aspiré (aspirated h), which dictates how words are linked or elided. The presence of H aspiré prevents liaison.
How do you pronounce it?
/aʃ/
Did you know?
- The H aspiré is a historical remnant of words borrowed from Germanic languages, whereas h muet typically comes from Latin.
- The distinction between h muet and H aspiré is not marked in writing, so learners must memorize which words belong to which category or use a dictionary.
- In traditional French poetry, a word starting with H aspiré is treated as if it starts with a consonant, affecting the syllable count of a verse.
Examples in context
- Hélène vient de me contacter.Hélène has just contacted me.This sentence shows the letter h in the context of a name.Tatoeba #3273377 by Aiji, translation #3273376 by CN
- « h » est une variable temporaire."H" is a dummy variable.This sentence shows the letter h being used as a variable.Tatoeba #858691 by felix63, translation #858689 by FeuDRenais2
- Le "H" ne se prononce pas en français."H" is not pronounced in French.This sentence illustrates the rule that the letter h is not pronounced in French.Tatoeba #1419750 by Delapouite, translation #952365 by shekitten
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are checking the spelling of a name.
- HugoComment s'écrit ce nom ?How do you spell this name?
- ManonIl y a un h au début.There is an h at the beginning.
- HugoC'est un h muet ?Is it a silent h?
- ManonOui, Hugo commence par un h.Yes, Hugo starts with an h.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry h, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
