aspirated h

/ˈæspəɹeɪ̯tɪd eɪ̯tʃ/

noun

In the French language, usage of the letter h at the start of a word which does not allow liaison with a preceding consonant or elision of a preceding schwa.

“The French word héros ("hero") begins with an aspirated h. Consequently we say le héros /lə e.ʁo/ and les héros /le e.ʁo/, but never /l‿e.ʁo/ and /le‿ze.ʁo/ as we do with the mute h.”

Similar
Germanic hfr:h aspiré
Opposite
mute hsilent hunaspirated h
OriginFrench h aspiré →
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Meanings

noun
  1. Frenchhuman sciencesIn the French language, usage of the letter h at the start of a word which does not allow liaison with a preceding consonant or elision of a preceding schwa.

    The French word héros ("hero") begins with an aspirated h. Consequently we say le héros /lə e.ʁo/ and les héros /le e.ʁo/, but never /l‿e.ʁo/ and /le‿ze.ʁo/ as we do with the mute h.

    Synonyms: Germanic h, fr:h aspiré

  2. literallyhuman sciencesAspiration of a glottal consonant.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounIn the French language, usage of the letter h at the start of a word which does not allow liaison with a preceding consonant or elision of a preceding schwa.

Similar
Germanic hfr:h aspiré
Opposite
mute hsilent hunaspirated h
Also see
germanic h

Origin

  1. Frenchh aspiré
  2. Englishaspirated h

Calque of French h aspiré. The aspirated h was pronounced /h/ until Early Modern French (and still is in some northern dialects), whereas the mute h had long been silent. The designation has been maintained although both kinds of h are now technically silent in standard French, but the aspirated h remains pronounced dialectally and in Norman French.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan h aspirada
  • h aspiradain the French language, usage of the letter h at the start of a word which does not allow liaison with a preceding consonant
French h aspiré
  • h aspiréin the French language, usage of the letter h at the start of a word which does not allow liaison with a preceding consonant
Italian h aspirata
  • h aspiratain the French language, usage of the letter h at the start of a word which does not allow liaison with a preceding consonant
Japanese 有音のh
  • 有音のh (yūon no asshu)in the French language, usage of the letter h at the start of a word which does not allow liaison with a preceding consonant
Polish h przydechowe
  • h przydechowein the French language, usage of the letter h at the start of a word which does not allow liaison with a preceding consonant
Portuguese h aspirado
  • h aspiradoin the French language, usage of the letter h at the start of a word which does not allow liaison with a preceding consonant
Russian придыха́тельное аш
  • придыха́тельное аш (pridyxátelʹnoje aš)in the French language, usage of the letter h at the start of a word which does not allow liaison with a preceding consonant
Spanish h aspirada, hache aspirada
  • h aspiradain the French language, usage of the letter h at the start of a word which does not allow liaison with a preceding consonant
  • hache aspiradain the French language, usage of the letter h at the start of a word which does not allow liaison with a preceding consonant
Cite this entry
APA

aspirated h. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aspirated%20h

MLA

“aspirated h.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aspirated%20h. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aspirated h,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aspirated%20h.

Source: aspirated h on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.