silent h

noun

A letter ⟨h⟩ that is written but not pronounced.

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Meanings

nounsilent h (plural silent h's)

plural silent h's

  1. communicationsA letter ⟨h⟩ that is written but not pronounced.

    The vihuela (silent h) is a small, guitar-like instrument strummed as much for its percussive as its melodic sound.

    1989 August 26, Richard Vasquez, “Women Are Spicing Up the World of Mariachi Music”, in Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 01 Aug 2025
    1 more example

    Examples include the silent h in ghost (to match Dutch gheest, which later became geest), aghast, ghastly and gherkin.

    2019, Carson Stewart, History of the English Language, page 178

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
h-droppingmute hunaspirated h
Cite this entry
APA

silent h. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/silent%20h

MLA

“silent h.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/silent%20h. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “silent h,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/silent%20h.

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