when (H) is silent?

Hello everybody

I would ask why the litter (H) becomes silent in some words
For Example:

· hour
· honest
· Christmases
· mechanic
· technical

Are there any rules about it ?

Please I want to know that is my spelling problem :-(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Layo0ol

Hello everybody

I would ask why the litter (H) becomes silent in some words
For Example:

· hour
· honest
· Christmases
· mechanic
· technical

Are there any rules about it ?

Please I want to know that is my spelling problem :-(

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It's generally for etymological / historical reasons.
It's not only 'h'. Most letters can be silent on odd occasions.
a - roar
b - doubt
c - track
...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Layo0ol

Are there any rules about it ?

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Maybe this helps to identify when 'h' can be silent.

H is not pronounced initially in heir, honest, honour, hour;

medially in exhausted, exhilarating, exhibit, vehicle, vehement;

after g or r gherkin, ghostly, ghastly, rheum, rhyme;

at the end of a word myrrh, halleluiah;

preceded by a vowel ah, oh;

in some final suffixes shepherd, Durham, Clapham;

and sometimes after t isthmus.

It's chiefly Americans who think the h is silent in 'herb'! ;-) (Over 'ere we say /hɜ:b/ )

b

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobK

It's chiefly Americans who think the h is silent in 'herb'! ;-) (Over 'ere we say /hɜ:b/ )

b

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Oops! You´re right. Gimson´s pronounciation of English doesn´t consider ´herb´, I took it from another source.

hey, guys

Iam also had the same problem , I don't know when H is silent

please if there are a rules for that share us

Thanks;-)

In words of Latin/French origin starting with 'h', the 'h' is silent: honour, honest, hour (heure), hors d'oevres etc.

In Anglo-Saxon words, you pronounce the 'h': horse, hog, help, have, has, had, he, her, his, here, happy, hairy etc.

Naturally, there'll be the odd exception.