How to pronounce the sound /h/

The problem

The sound /h/ in English is often pronounced too hard by Spanish people. 

Description of problem

The letter ‘h’ in Spanish is usually silent. In English, however, it is normally pronounced. But when Spanish speakers say English words that have the letter ‘h’ in them, they often say it too hard, similar to ‘ja’, ‘ge’ or ‘gi’ in Spanish words such as jamón, ajo, genial or gimnasio. In English this sound is unusual. In this unit we will use the symbol /x/ to represent this hard sound.

Note: There are certain words in English in which the letter ‘h’ is also completely silent.

In the following exercises you could use your own voice recorder to keep track of your speech.

SECTION ONE

Spotting the problem

To understand this problem, do this:

Read the words in the table below aloud. Observe the sound you make at the beginning of each word.

This sound is similar to the one we make when we have something (a crumb for example) stuck in our throat and we want to get it out. For a great number of Spanish speakers this is the normal way to pronounce ‘ja’, ‘ge’ or ‘gi’. However, this sound is unusual in English.

Now read out the words and phrases in the text below alone. Observe your speech. When you are finished, continue listening to the recording.

As you were saying the words and phrases above, did you use the same /x/ sound as in the previous exercise with the Spanish words? Did you say “How /xaʊ/ are you?”, “Who /xu:/ is it?”, “Can I help /xelp/ you?”. If yes, then it is time to change it and make it sound softer. In the next section you will see how to do it.

SECTION TWO

Correcting the problem

To correct this problem, do this: 

(You will need a mirror for this exercise.)

Take a small mirror in your hand. Hold the mirror close to your mouth and breathe on it gently to moisten it. You know, the typical thing we do before we clean a mirror or our sunglasses with a piece of cloth: /h/, /h/

Observe the soft airy sound you make when you breathe on the mirror. Is it like ‘j’  in jamón or ‘gi’ in gimnasio?  Not really. It is a softer and less throaty sound.

Now listen to me saying the following words.

Pay attention to the /h/ sound these words begin with. Repeat them one by one after the short beep.

When you are saying these words, observe how it feels to make the soft /h/ sound. (Use the mirror again if you need to remember how to do it.) Say the words slowly.

Concentrate on the area at the back of your mouth where the air passes through to find a soft /h/ feeling in your throat instead of a harsh /x/ as you pronounce each word. Repeat this part as many times as you need to before you continue.

SECTION Three

Practice

Below you can find some more words to practise with. Listen to me saying them first, and then repeat them one by one after the beep.

Practise saying the words. Repeat them a couple of times before you continue listening to the recording.

Now you will hear short sentences that have some of our target words in them from this unit. Observe how they sound in the sentences.

How hot is it here in summer?
- As hot as hell.

Who hit his head?
–He himself with a heavy hammer.

He had a house in the  Highlands.

He has his holidays in Holland.

Keep practising until you feel confident that you are pronouncing all the target vocabulary with the smooth /h/ sound as learned in this unit.

SECTION FOUR

How to memorise 

To remember what you have learned in this unit, it is a good idea to actually memorise some vocabulary. When you learn new words or you want to correct some pronunciation difficulty, I recommend that you practise your target words together with other words that they can normally be used with in real life. Some examples to memorise with correct pronunciation: 

Try to use authentic texts and a monolingual English dictionary to find more real-life word combinations to practise with. 

Good luck!