# British English - say the alphabet, and stop when you get to H **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 24, 2021, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655 "2021-02-24T17:34:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/1 "2021-02-24T17:34:46Z")
Every time I hear this on British TV, it is jarring to my ear. Some (all?) Brits pronounce the name of the letter H as “haitch” with a very pronounced “voiceless glottal fricative” sound (I got that from googling, it’s not something I knew on my own). Is this a class or education or regional phenomenon, or do all English Brits do it? I’m familiar with the stereotypical (and possibly imaginary any more) Cockney, leaving the h’s off of the beginnings of words where they exist, and adding them where they don’t exist. But this seems to my non-rigorous observation to go across class and education lines at least. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/2 "2021-02-24T18:09:31Z")
Could it be the result of following the vowel-sound ending of “Gee”? ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/3 "2021-02-24T18:31:02Z")
I believe that is standard British English, calling the letter “haitch”. Just like they call “z” zed. ---
**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/4 "2021-02-24T18:42:26Z")
My boss is Welsh. He consistently says “Haitch” for the letter. After about 10 years of working with him, I started to say that, unironically. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/5 "2021-02-24T18:52:35Z")
And there’s a [wiki for everything, even how to say H:](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H#:~:text=%C3%A7%2F%20in%20German.-,Name%20in%20English,is%20considered%20nonstandard%20in%20England.) > [@](#): > > For most English speakers, the name for the letter is pronounced as [/eɪtʃ/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English) and spelled “aitch”[[1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H#cite_note-mw-1) or occasionally “eitch”. The pronunciation [/heɪtʃ/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English) and the associated spelling “haitch” is often considered to be [h-adding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-dropping#H-insertion) and is considered nonstandard in England.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H#cite_note-how_do_you_pronounce_H-2) It is, however, a feature of [Hiberno-English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiberno-English),[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H#cite_note-3) as well as scattered varieties of [Edinburgh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_English), [England](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-English), and [Welsh English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_English),[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H#cite_note-4) and in Australia and Nova Scotia. Just one of so many weird ways Brits talk I never paid much attention to this one. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/6 "2021-02-24T19:03:37Z")
See :58 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FXBHY7uco0Y/hqdefault.jpg "Eddie Izzard "Language" Sketch From "Dress to Kill"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXBHY7uco0Y) ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/7 "2021-02-24T19:25:46Z")
I’ve heard from English friends that it’s an over-correction from other dropped H sounds (to avoid sounding Cockney), but I don’t have any cites for that. Some of my English friends pronounce it aitch and some haitch. Also, I love Eddie Izzard. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/8 "2021-02-24T19:45:37Z")
Western Canada and we say “aitch” for H and “zed” for the last letter of the alphabet. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/9 "2021-02-24T19:47:41Z")
“Haitch” actually makes sense – most of the other consonants begin with their own sound. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/10 "2021-02-24T19:59:32Z")
Perhaps a matter of interpretation. eg - see, eff, jee, ell, emm, enn, cue, are, ess, double you, ecks, wi. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/11 "2021-02-24T20:28:23Z")
Now I wonder how @SCAdian pronounces his letters. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/12 "2021-02-24T20:36:06Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Some of my English friends pronounce it aitch and some haitch. Yes, both are common in the U.K., I say aitch. I haven’t a clue whether it’s correlated with regional accents or not, I grew up hearing both around London. > **['Haitch' or 'aitch'? How do you pronounce 'H'?](https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-11642588)** > > The pronunciation of common words has changed drastically over time. And, as the British Library begins a quest to record people's articulations, it seems that differences in how we say words could be influenced by age. This BBC article seems to think it’s a changing usage, but it’s really not clear what they are saying - I don’t even follow which direction they think its changing from that. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/13 "2021-02-24T21:00:02Z")
Just don’t do it in front of David Mitchell. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Jo8FR8GGoJ0/hqdefault.jpg "That Mitchell And Webb Look - Proper Language Use") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo8FR8GGoJ0) ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/14 "2021-02-24T21:06:04Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > And there’s a [wiki for everything, even how to say H:](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H#:~:text=%C3%A7%2F%20in%20German.-,Name%20in%20English,is%20considered%20nonstandard%20in%20England.) > > > [@](#): > > > > For most English speakers, the name for the letter is pronounced as [/eɪtʃ/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English) and spelled “aitch”[[1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H#cite_note-mw-1) or occasionally “eitch”. The pronunciation [/heɪtʃ/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English) and the associated spelling “haitch” is often considered to be [h-adding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-dropping#H-insertion) and is considered nonstandard in England.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H#cite_note-how_do_you_pronounce_H-2) It is, however, a feature of [Hiberno-English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiberno-English),[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H#cite_note-3) as well as scattered varieties of [Edinburgh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_English), [England](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-English), and [Welsh English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_English),[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H#cite_note-4) and in Australia and Nova Scotia. > > Just one of so many weird ways Brits talk I never paid much attention to this one. Blimey, there really is a wiki for everything. This is pretty much what I was looking for. But it was worth the effort of posting to see that David Mitchell video. I know just how he feels (see some other thread I posted in just to point out that they used a word to mean the opposite of what it normally means). I now have a mental image for every time someone posts with incorrect grammar or diction. (there’s a trap in that sentence, mind you don’t get shot) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/15 "2021-02-24T21:49:57Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > But it was worth the effort of posting to see that David Mitchell video. I know just how he feels (see some other thread I posted in just to point out that they used a word to mean the opposite of what it normally means). I now have a mental image for every time someone posts with incorrect grammar or diction. Do you really think the takeaway from Mitchell’s ludicrous parody of a language peever literally murdering people should be: “Gosh, people are so careless with language, let’s press on with greater enthusiasm in our heroic pedantry!” Perhaps you should think again about who was the target of the parody in that sketch. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/16 "2021-02-24T22:12:21Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Do you really think the takeaway from Mitchell’s ludicrous parody of a language peever literally murdering people should be: “Gosh, people are so careless with language, let’s press on with greater enthusiasm in our heroic pedantry!” No, I don’t. > [@Riemann](#): > > Perhaps you should think again about who was the target of the parody in that sketch. Perhaps you should read my post again with the intended ironic tone in your head, and you will see where I was coming from. Self-deprecation is like a delicate, exotic fruit. Try to write it down, and the bloom is gone. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/17 "2021-02-24T22:19:10Z")
Claiming that you were being ironic in a manner that was just too exquisitely subtle is a nice out, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2021, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/18 "2021-02-24T23:26:19Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Claiming that you were being ironic in a manner that was just too exquisitely subtle is a nice out, isn’t it?  That’s not how I read it. He’s pointing out that David Mitchell’s joke was self-deprecating, mocking Mitchell’s own internal reaction. And now that @Roderick_Femm is going to imagine his rant any time he feels the same irrational reaction. Hopefully it’ll make him laugh and not take things so seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/19 "2021-02-25T00:06:13Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Claiming that you were being ironic in a manner that was just too exquisitely subtle is a nice out, isn’t it? You seem determined to make me out some kind of evil pedant with no self-awareness at all. In fact, I can be both things, a sometimes nit-picking pedant who gets irritated at people who show, by mis-using words, that they don’t read books, and at the same time aware that it’s not all that important in the journey of life. If you want me to shut up on the subject, that’s too bad because I’m not going to. You’ll just have to put me on ignore and miss all my pearls. Your life will be the poorer for it. > [@BigT](#): > > He’s pointing out that David Mitchell’s joke was self-deprecating, mocking Mitchell’s own internal reaction. No, sorry, I was pointing out that my remarks about my own pedantry were supposed to be self-deprecating, even if they did not appear that way to the reader, thereby deprecating myself even further. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2021, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655/20 "2021-02-25T00:19:45Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > No, sorry, I was pointing out that my remarks about my own pedantry were supposed to be self-deprecating, even if they did not appear that way to the reader, thereby deprecating myself even further. You know you can go blind from self deprecating too much, right? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-english-say-the-alphabet-and-stop-when-you-get-to-h/933655.md?page=2)