This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

'Haitch' or 'Aitch'? How do you pronounce 'H'?

Scroll to see replies

lk2011

Haitch.

I also say "Zee".

And no, it's not because I'm stupid or ignorant or backward. It's because I'm from Ireland and we say haitch (I think we say a mix of zee and zed though). I have never heard anyone ever say "Aitch" who was born and raised here. It's nothing to do with how much money you have or your education either as some people like to claim. It really is a regional thing and nothing more.

HAITCH 'TIL I DIE.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 61

medbh4805

Original post by Brand New Eyes

Are you god? You genuinely are EVERYWHERE! :crazy:

I say Haitch... :biggrin:

#fu**yeah

mwhahahahahaha :colonhash:

Reply 62

username858757

Original post by Procerus

how could you not pronounce the H in haitch? that would be weird, do you say Ello instead of Hello?

No, I pronounce Hello as aitch-ee-ell-ell-oh.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 63

Teofilo

I really 'ate it when people don't say haitch.

Reply 64

DellaLouise

I've never heard H pronounced as 'Aitch'. :dontknow:

It is and always will be to me 'Haitch' :yep:

Reply 65

username453132

I sort of switch between the two depending on what I'm saying. It's very amusing how annoyed people get get over a topic like this.

Original post by IB_19

This.

You wouldn't pronounce the letter 'W' as 'wouble you', so why is the letter H any different?

Original post by Ch1pp0

Stupid people say "Haitch" because they can't understand how a letter of the alphabet can have a name that isn't phonetically linked to its pronunciation in common usage.

There are these things called accents my darlings.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 66

notastampcollector

Original post by Procerus

how could you not pronounce the H in haitch? that would be weird, do you say Ello instead of Hello?

H is not spelt Haitch so you are not dropping an H by saying Aitch. By the same logic you are dropping an L by saying El rather than Lel, or an R by saying Arr instead of Rarr.

Reply 67

Nice Marmite

Original post by mja

Haitch is not dialectual. It may have become a common usage, but it has not done so as part of any particular dialect. It is just a frequently made error.

I don't say haitch but everyone else from my hometown does. Everyone.

Reply 68

Manitude

Aitch is the name of the 8th letter in the Latin alphabet of English.
I am not going to add another consonant to the start of that for no apparent reason.

I find it interesting that a lot of people seem to be saying that Northerns are to blame for pronouncing it wrong - the only people I know who say "haitch" are all Southern.

Reply 69

Nice Marmite

Original post by Manitude

I've moved from the midlands to the south and back again. It is exclusively midlands that use haitch from my experience.

Reply 70

Like_A_G6

I know it's aitch but I just say it as Haitch. I know i'm wrong but don't really care. If people understand what I say then i'm fine with it.

Reply 71

Olie

Original post by IB_19

It is definitely aitch. I hate it when people say 'haitch'.

Yes, I'm glad I'm not the only one who hasn't forgotten what the proper pronunciation is, it is and has always been 'aitch', yet just about everyone I know says 'haitch', except for my family who get annoyed over it as well. Not something to lose sleep over but it is still slightly irritating.

Reply 72

kog

i say `haitch`, i cant pronounce `aitch`

same as i can barely pronounce many words beginning with `j` and many other things :P

I don't mind, its just annoying when people laugh at you for not being able to pronounce a particular word.

Reply 73

eyre2

omg i am sooo shocked at the responses, i thought everyone, like me, prouounces haitch :eek:

Reply 74

najabri

"aitch", I've always been taught that "haitch" is the improper pronunciation and partly cringe when I hear it.

If it helps with the argument, no one's going to look down on you for saying "aitch" but some will if you say "haitch".

Reply 75

truthandtragedy

I've been sitting here saying "haitch" and "aitch" out loud repeatedly, and I still can't figure out which one I usually use. What's more, I can barely tell a difference between the two, so is it really that important?

I do, however, recall that my grandad and some of my family with heavy Dundonian accents pronounce it "hitch". :holmes:

But then again, they also call pies "pehs" and say "eh" instead of "I".

Reply 76

IB_19

Original post by sicarius1992

There are these things called accents my darlings.

I don't really see how region would determine how someone pronounces the letter H. I've always been taught that it's grammatically correct to pronounce it as aitch. Also I pronounce words such as 'house' and 'hello' as 'house' and 'hello', as I can tell the difference between the single letter and a word. It's the same with the word 'window', etc. that the W on its own is 'double you'.

Apparently people were taught to say the letter H as 'haitch' because they were saying things such as hotel as 'otel, which is silly to be honest.

It irritates me a little bit as people should not think that mispronouncing the eighth letter of the alphabet is acceptable; if they say it fair enough it's their own problem, but I hate it when they make it out as though those who say aitch are in the wrong.

Reply 77

abc:)

Original post by Raza098

I've pronounced it 'Haitch' all my life! :confused:

Aitch is correct I was taught, but I pronounce it Haitch. It seems silly not to include H in the letter H :s-smilie:

u know?

Reply 78

IB_19

Original post by Olie

Agreed. In my school (I'm from the South) there are some people who mispronounce it. If that was an error it would irritate me but if they choose to say it in that way, fair enough, it's their own mistake. But what irritates me even more is when they act as though they are right! Saying things such as "it's 'haitch', anyone who says anything else is wrong". :mad:

In my primary school (which is a nicer school) everyone said it as 'aitch'! I don't let these things cloud my everyday thoughts, but it is noticeable, and can be quite annoying.

Reply 79

imy7

Original post by Ch1pp0

Stupid people say "Haitch" because they can't understand how a letter of the alphabet can have a name that isn't phonetically linked to its pronunciation in common usage.

That's a very shallow, ignorant thing to say. You are the stupid one.
Both ways of saying the sound are perfectly acceptable. It depends on all sorts of things; mainly sociolect/dialect. Not intelligence.