# Do you aspirate your aitches? Is it pretentious to? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 24, 2024, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021 "2024-05-24T13:33:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/61 "2024-05-26T00:16:40Z")
People from different parts of the world pronounce words in way that I might not. It never occurred to me that it should bother me, or that it made me smarter than anyone else because I said a vowel slightly differently. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/62 "2024-05-26T00:24:22Z")
It doesn’t. Peeps talk like peeps talk. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/63 "2024-05-26T02:01:30Z")
I came to this thread to find out what an aitch was. H. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/64 "2024-05-26T05:55:31Z")
In some places in the UK it’s haitch (H), which actually makes more sense. > **[Haitch or aitch? How a humble letter was held hostage by historical haughtiness](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/haitch-or-aitch-pronunciation-letter-h-old-english-a8393766.html)** > > An unspoken class war has long been waged around the pronunciation of the letter ‘h’ – is it haitch or aitch? Despite a snobbish leaning to the latter, haitch makes more sense ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/65 "2024-05-26T06:37:44Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > In some places in the UK it’s haitch (H), which actually makes more sense I fail to see how. Yes, I read the article. How do you spell the letter “Y”? It’s “wye”. Would sticking a “Y” in front make more sense? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/66 "2024-05-26T06:47:37Z")
I don’t think you fail to see how (the initial sound of the letter name matches the sound of the letter). You just fail to agree. “Wye,” unlike “aitch,” at least has the sound in it, at the end rather than the beginning, as do other letters: ef, el, em, en, ar, ess, wye. I realize I don’t know how to spell the letter names. ell? arr? es? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/67 "2024-05-26T07:10:05Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > I don’t think you fail to see how (the initial sound of the letter name matches the sound of the letter). But it’s not pronounced in the word. It’s a ghost letter. It doesn’t belong there, even ceremonially. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/68 "2024-05-26T07:28:25Z")
That’s what I meant: there are dialects where it IS pronounced. It doesn’t belong there historically, but it is there practically—in a few places. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/69 "2024-05-26T12:02:00Z")
A video about the pronunciation of h is [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wVaadU3S9-4?app=desktop](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wVaadU3S9-4?app=desktop) . It’s good to get used to the idea that there’s a lot of variation in the pronunciation of English by native speakers without them trying to be pretentious. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/70 "2024-05-26T12:12:08Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > I realize I don’t know how to spell the letter names. ell? arr? es? Wubble-you? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/71 "2024-05-26T13:46:10Z")
Are we talking the “h” in “haitch”? Because it is pronounced in the UK and other English-speaking areas when it’s spelled that way. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/72 "2024-05-26T14:48:37Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Because it is pronounced in the UK and other English-speaking areas when it’s spelled that way. The question is how the letter h is spelled if (for example) you ask people to recite the alphabet. In the Republic of Ireland and occasionally in England it’s pronounced as “haitch”. In Northern Ireland it’s typical to pronounce it as “haitch” if you’re a Catholic but not if you’re a Protestant. It’s rare to pronounce it as “haitch” in other English-speaking countries. Of course, if you spell out the word as H, A, I, T, C, H, people anywhere are going to pronounce that word as “haitch”: [H - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H#:~:text=The%20haitch%20pronunciation%20of%20h,common%20among%20younger%20native%20speakers). ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/73 "2024-05-26T14:55:25Z")
Non-aspirating H-er here. When I say the 5 ‘Ws’ of journalism out loud: “Who, What, Why, Where, When” pronouncing all the words as ‘hw’, it not only sounds weird to me, it’s actually a bit tiring to say. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/74 "2024-05-26T16:54:36Z")
I know all that. Did I explain something incorrectly? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/75 "2024-05-26T17:35:18Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Are we talking the “h” in “haitch”? Because it is pronounced in the UK and other English-speaking areas when it’s spelled that way Wow. I have never heard this. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/76 "2024-05-26T17:39:31Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/wVaadU3S9-4/maxresdefault.jpg "Haitch vs Aitch - How do you say it? #shorts") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVaadU3S9-4) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/77 "2024-05-26T18:14:36Z")
If you do crossword puzzles you’ll soon learn how the letters - or most of them - are spelled. ---
**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:** [May 26, 2024, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/78 "2024-05-26T20:04:28Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > I realize I don’t know how to spell the letter names. ell? arr? es? ⁢ I don’t know that there is any other that is “official” other than aitch (and haitch). But I’ve seen others used with rather consistent spelling. Em and en are used for the dashes (-- and —). Tee is used for tee shirt. You have dee and jay in deejay. I’ve seen “oh” to specify someone said the letter instead of the number. But this dictionary link seem to have all the consonants: > **[How To Spell W And Other Letters Of The Alphabet](https://www.dictionary.com/e/how-to-spell-letters/)** > > You know your ABCs, but can you spell them? Learn how to spell each of the consonants of the English alphabet so your spelling skills will be A-OK. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2024, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/79 "2024-05-26T21:06:56Z")
> [@solost](#): > > When I say the 5 ‘Ws’ of journalism out loud: “Who, What, Why, Where, When” pronouncing all the words as ‘hw’, it not only sounds weird to me, it’s actually a bit tiring to say. It would sound weird to say “who” that way, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2024, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021/80 "2024-05-27T05:40:55Z")
Saying it out loud, mine comes out: hoo, wut, wye, hwer, hwen. In my head I thought I was consistent about this sound, but clearly not. “What” sounds wrong aspirated, “where” & “when” sound wrong unaspirated, and “why” works either way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-aspirate-your-aitches-is-it-pretentious-to/1002021.md?page=5)