∅ / (h)

French h (silent vs aspirated)

H is always silent in pronunciation — but 'h aspiré' blocks liaison and elision

ConsonantIPA: /∅ / (h)/

Practice Words

heurehommehôtelhabiterhautharicothibouhéroshuithasard

Accent-Specific Pronunciation Guide

How you approach this sound depends on your English accent. Find yours below for personalised coaching.

American English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 3/5

This is about UN-learning something. In French, 'h' is NEVER pronounced as a sound — there's no breath or friction. 'Hôtel' is simply 'ôtel'. 'Homme' is 'omme'. The hard part for Americans is suppressing the strong 'h' you naturally produce. The twist: some French h-words allow elision and liaison (l'homme, les hommes) while others block it (le haricot, NOT l'haricot). This is a vocabulary memorisation issue, not a pronunciation one.

Bridge from: house, happy (h (always pronounced in English))

Common mistakes:

•Pronouncing any 'h' sound at all (the most common English-speaker error in French)
•Aspirating the h even slightly
•Not knowing which h-words allow liaison (requires memorisation)

Drill sequence:

house → drop the h → 'ouse → hôtel = ôtel
happy → 'appy → habiter = abiter
Practice: les hommes (z-liaison) vs les haricots (no liaison)

British English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 3/5

RP carefully preserves 'h' in standard speech, which makes the French silent 'h' feel unnatural. You need to suppress it completely. No breath, no friction, nothing. 'Hôtel' starts with the vowel 'ô'. Practice reading French h-words and starting directly with the vowel that follows.

Bridge from: house, happy (h)

Common mistakes:

•Light aspiration persisting
•Feeling like you're speaking 'incorrectly' by dropping h's

Drill sequence:

house → ouse → hôtel = ôtel
Practice starting words with vowels: homme = omme

Australian / NZ English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

Australian English sometimes drops 'h' in casual speech ('e went to 'is 'ouse'), which actually helps here. In French, take that casual h-dropping and make it permanent and universal. Never pronounce 'h'. 'Hôtel' = 'ôtel'. The liaison rules (which h-words allow linking) need memorisation.

Bridge from: house (h (sometimes dropped naturally))

Common mistakes:

•Over-correcting by adding h's (hypercorrection from awareness of h-dropping)
•Not learning which h-words block liaison

Drill sequence:

Drop every h → hôtel = ôtel
homme = omme
Memorise: h aspiré words (haricot, héros, hibou)

Irish English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

Some Irish English dialects drop 'h' in certain positions, which may give you a natural bridge. In French, extend that to ALL h-words — never pronounce 'h'. 'Hôtel' starts with the vowel. The liaison rules need memorisation but the pronunciation itself should feel achievable.

Bridge from: house (h / ∅)

Common mistakes:

•Inconsistency — dropping 'h' sometimes but not always

Drill sequence:

Drop every h universally
homme = omme
heure = eure

Scottish English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 3/5

Scottish English preserves 'h' clearly, so you'll need to actively suppress it for French. No breath at all on any 'h'. Start every h-word with the vowel that follows. This is a habit change rather than a sound change — the physical ability is simple, the reprogramming takes practice.

Bridge from: house (h)

Common mistakes:

•Light aspiration persisting
•Forgetting to suppress in fast speech

Drill sequence:

house → ouse → hôtel = ôtel
Drop h consistently in practice sentences

Indian English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

Hindi has a strong h sound and even breathy voiced h. For French, suppress ALL of this. French h is completely silent. Hôtel starts directly with the vowel. This may feel wrong because Hindi treats h as meaningful, but in French it is purely decorative.

Bridge from: house, Hindi ह (h / ɦ (Hindi ह))

Common mistakes:

•Pronouncing h (natural from Hindi)
•Breathy voice carrying over
•Hindi aspiration has no place in French

Drill sequence:

ह → silence → hôtel = ôtel
homme = omme (no breath)

South African English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

South African English preserves h in standard speech. For French, suppress entirely. No breath, no friction.

Bridge from: house (h)

Common mistakes:

•Light aspiration
•Not learning h aspiré rules

Drill sequence:

house → ouse → hôtel = ôtel

Nigerian / W. African English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

Nigerian English generally pronounces h clearly. For French, drop it completely. If you already know some French from school or Francophone neighbours, you may already be familiar with silent h.

Bridge from: house, happy (h)

Common mistakes:

•Pronouncing h
•Inconsistency

Drill sequence:

Drop every h → hôtel = ôtel
All hs silent in French

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you pronounce the French French h (silent vs aspirated)?▾

The French French h (silent vs aspirated) is written as ∅ / (h) in IPA. H is always silent in pronunciation — but 'h aspiré' blocks liaison and elision. The technique varies by your English accent — scroll down for personalised coaching for American, British, Australian, Irish, Scottish, Indian, South African, and Nigerian speakers.

Is the French French h (silent vs aspirated) hard for English speakers?▾

It depends on your accent. For some English accents, this is a direct transfer (you already make this sound). For others, it's genuinely new. Check the accent-specific section below to see your difficulty rating.

What words use the French French h (silent vs aspirated) sound?▾

Common practice words include: heure, homme, hôtel, habiter, haut, haricot. These are good starting points for drilling this sound.