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Consonant
H
The H sound is a voiceless glottal fricative. It's essentially a whispered vowel sound, made by pushing air through the open glottis (the space between the vocal cords) without vibration.
Phonetic
hVoicing
VoicelessPlace of Articulation
GlottalManner of Articulation
FricativeMouth Position
Keep your mouth slightly open in a neutral position, as if about to speak a vowel. The sound comes from the throat, not the mouth. Push air out from your lungs through your open throat without vibrating your vocal cords. The shape of your mouth will be influenced by the vowel that follows the /h/.
How to Make This Sound
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Example Words
hatMain Example
/hæt/hello
/həˈloʊ/house
/haʊs/behind
/bɪˈhaɪnd/perhaps
/pərˈhæps/whole
/hoʊl/Pronunciation Practice
7 words
Speak the words aloud to get instant feedback on your pronunciation
Quick Practice
3-5 essential words
Full Practice
All 7 words
Minimal Pairs
Listen and compare similar sounds
h
hat
/hæt/Compare with
H
at
/æt/h
heat
/hiːt/Compare with
H
eat
/iːt/h
hill
/hɪl/Compare with
H
ill
/ɪl/h
behind
/bɪˈhaɪnd/Compare with
B
bind
/baɪnd/Tongue Twister
Practice: Consonant
“Harry the happy hippo hurried home.”
Practice this tongue twister to improve your pronunciation