h

Short definition: The letter h is used to form many English words and sounds, sometimes clearly pronounced as a breathy consonant and sometimes silent, depending on the word, accent, and position in a sentence.

Looking for a clear and natural explanation of the letter h? The letter h is the eighth letter of the English alphabet and appears in many common words. It can represent a sound, be silent in pronunciation, or serve as a symbol in science and everyday writing. You will see it used in spelling, phonetics, abbreviations, and academic contexts. Below, each meaning is explained in a calm and natural way, with enough detail to feel clear, human, and practical.

Forms: h, H
Related: alphabet n., letter n., consonant n.
Syllable: h

1. (Noun) The eighth letter of the English alphabet used in writing spelling and symbols.

   H is the eighth letter of the English alphabet and is used to form words represent sounds and act as a written symbol in many systems including language science and mathematics.

   The word house begins with the letter h which gives it a soft breathing sound at the start.
   Children usually learn the letter h early because it appears in many simple words.
   In alphabetical order h comes after g and before i.

   Synonyms: eighth letter, alphabet letter, consonant symbol, written character, phonetic letter, language symbol, script letter, textual mark, alphabet character, written sign, letter form, consonant mark
   Antonyms: vowel, number, digit, punctuation mark, symbol only, non letter sign, numeral, graphic icon, mathematical symbol, emoji, special character, non alphabetic mark

2. (Noun) A sound made by gently breathing air through the mouth often heard at the start of words.

   In pronunciation, h represents a soft breath sound made by pushing air through the mouth without fully stopping it, although in some words the sound is silent.

   The h sound in happy is clearly heard when the word is spoken slowly.
   In some accents the h sound is dropped making words like house sound different.
   The letter h is silent in words like hour and honest.

   Synonyms: breath sound, soft consonant sound, aspirated sound, airflow sound, phonetic breath, gentle consonant, voiceless sound, speech airflow, initial sound, pronunciation marker, spoken breath, sound symbol
   Antonyms: silent letter, vowel sound, voiced consonant, stop sound, closed sound, nasal sound, strong consonant, hard sound, muted sound, blocked airflow, voiced letter, soundless mark

3. (Noun) A symbol used in science abbreviations and measurements.

   In scientific and technical contexts, h is commonly used as a symbol such as for hour in time measurement or for specific constants and variables depending on the field.

   The experiment lasted for two h according to the recorded data.
   In physics h can represent a constant used in calculations.
   Instructions often use h as shorthand for hours in schedules.

   Synonyms: symbol, abbreviation, time marker, scientific letter, variable sign, measurement symbol, technical notation, shorthand letter, unit symbol, formula marker, symbolic letter, coded sign
   Antonyms: full word, spelled out term, non symbolic text, descriptive phrase, written explanation, expanded form, plain language, long notation, non abbreviated form, literal wording, complete expression, textual description