mute h

English

Etymology

Calque of French h muet.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mjuːt eɪtʃ/

Noun

mute h (plural mute h's)

1. (phonology) In the French language usage of the letter h at the start of a word which allows liaison with a preceding consonant.

   The French word homme ("man") begins by a mute h. Consequently we can say l'homme /l‿ɔm/ and les hommes /le‿zɔm/, but never /lə ɔm/ and /le ɔm/, like we do with the aspirated h.

   • 1913, James Geddes, French Pronunciation‎^[1], page 83:

     Whether the h be a mute h or an aspirate h, it may be regarded in either case as absolutely silent.

   • 1994, Thomas M. Donnan, French Lyric Diction‎^[2], page 83:

     In French initial h’s are called either mute h’s (the greatest number) or aspirate h’s (fewer in number, but frequent nonetheless).

   • 2006, Laura K. Lawless, The Everything French Grammar Book, page 29:

     The only difference between the two is that a mute h allows contractions and liaisons in front of it, and an aspirated h does not.

2. (linguistics, phonetics, literally) non-aspiration of a glottal consonant

Synonyms

• silent h
• unaspirated h
• h-dropping

Antonyms

• aspirated h
• Germanic h

Translations

usage of the letter h at the start of a word which allows liaison with a preceding consonant

• French: h muet (fr) m
• Italian: h muto m
• Japanese: 無音の h (muon no asshu)
• Portuguese: h mudo m
• Russian: немо́е аш n (nemóje aš)
• Spanish: h muda f, hache muda f

Anagrams

• humet