And proud to articulate and pronounce our language correctly. Aitch. Complain about this comment (Comment number 48), "Mischievous, mischeevy-us, garidge, gararge, Let's call the whole thing off", Complain about this comment (Comment number 49). BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 07 Jun 2023 19:48:59 So too is there a mystery as to why certain pronunciations cause such strong feeling. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. This bunch may not have gone after the Jews yet but they've Anything else sounds clumsy. So why prescribe how to pronounce the letter H? The pronunciation of common words has changed drastically over time. Complain about this comment (Comment number 36). Its a curious letter name being, as the Oxford English Dictionary describes, so remote from any connection with the sound. ?The bit that amuses me about this particular variant, is why it isn't applied to the remaining third of our alphabet, i.e. Complain about this comment (Comment number 55), Complain about this comment (Comment number 56), "36. I would of thought it was obvious it's haitch to the great uneducable.Since when did we have a verb 'to of' ? Chief among horrors is the glottal stop in place of the closing letter "T". Complain about this comment (Comment number 7). () 'bath' and 'path' pronounced to rhyme with 'hath' and 'castle' pronounced as 'cassle';***************************************Actually, bath, not barth ect was the original way of saying it. Complain about this comment (Comment number 76). When will they accept they are speaking american not English. Complain about this comment (Comment number 2). Take the eighth letter of the alphabet, pronounce it haitch and then look for the slightly agonised look in some people's eyes. Do me a favour. Eye-rack? WebThe letter H. Do you pronounce it aitch or haitch? In the same way that 'yes' is pronounced 'yes' and not 'absolutely' which seems to be the preferred way of responding in the positive by too many people nowadays. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Complain about this comment (Comment number 84), 47. When should I use "a" versus "an" in front of a word beginning with the letter h? I once had someone try arguing that it should be "haitch" because all letters start the the letter itself! I'm not sure like which is like the best like version, innit.Try asking one of our more learned teenagers, pretty much pick any, and you will see how our language has been destroyed, like. Like Dr. Seuss Star-Belly Sneetches and Plain-Belly Sneetches, there are two types of creatures haitchers with H on their 8th letter name and aitchers with none upon thars. . When and why did the letter "u" begin being called [ju]? Once upon a time, there were gales of laughter when Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em pronounced harass with the emphasis on the second syllable. Oh look it actually is Mussolini's definition. One exhibit is the BBC's guide to pronunciation from 1928. In the 19th Century, it was normal to pronounce hospital, hotel and herb without the h. Nowadays "aitch anxiety" has led to all of them acquiring a new sound, a beautifully articulated aitch at the beginning. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? It's part of the library's forthcoming Evolving English exhibition and aims to show how pronunciation is not a matter of right and wrong but merely fashion. Perhaps, to really rile people, we should start assigning arbitrary "speaking ages" to them - "You speak at the level of a 4-year old"; perhaps this way it is the one remaining area an employer can discriminate against? I will never forget being asked to pronounce the 'eighth letter of the alphabet' and pronouncing it wrong and getting a hiding for my troubles.So bear that in mind with your petty squables over how to proper pronunciations. The pronounciation of the letter H/h is one that has only recently given me real cause for concern. At 10:32am on 28 Oct 2010, Lucy Clake wrote:I always thought it was "aitch" although one teacher at my granchildren's school says it's haitch which has the sound of affectation to me>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Or, being a cynic, demonstrates the poor standards of modern teaching and teachers! Although I suspect that's just ageist. I don't get too wound up when language is twisted. Read about our approach to external linking. Complain about this comment (Comment number 99), Complain about this comment (Comment number 100). "Bill Bryson's "Mother Tongue" is a good source of such evidence. In places where letter names are learned before letter sounds, such as Australia and the US, these letter names can facilitate children in learning letter sounds and, ultimately, word reading. Consider the pronounciation (actually pronounced as 'pro-nun-ciation' of course) of the letter group 'ough', viz:cough, bough, though, through, rough, ought - it's a nightmare!The best example I recall from my childhood is the word 'ghoti', which would be pronounced as 'fish', taking the 'gh' as 'ff' from 'rough', the 'o' as 'i' from 'women', and the 'ti' as 'sh' from 'motion' Ludicrous, but fun!Actually, I find there remains a place for a common understanding of pronounciation. The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. WebA corrupt govt colluding with industry! Complain about this comment (Comment number 96). By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. We suggest that a follow-up primer for young readers will one day include Horton hearing a Haitch. But why 'aitch' breaks this rule, I don't know. The pronunciation has become something of a social password, a spoken shibboleth distinguishing in-groupers from out-groupers. The film industry even took legal action to change the name Technicolor under copyright law so that it couldnt be altered. @Mitch, you upvoted twice? I do, however object when TV presenters say 'haitch' - if your job involves sitting on a sofa saying things in English, you should be able to speak English properly."Absolutely. One that thing winds me up is the Australian Question Intonation. It marks a decline in class anxiety in speech; attitudes to accents and pronunciations have become much more relaxed. does not sound his closing "Tees". The British Library now wants to get a clearer idea of how spoken English is changing by recording as many people as possible reading the opening paragraph of the Mr Men book, Mr Tickle. Are we more accurate in pronuciation when speaking a 'foreign' language, even one in which we are completely fluent? 09/12/2013 14:35 Aich is correct - Haich is not (teacher). The name aitch, which is now so remote from any connection with the sound, goes back through Middle English ache to Old French ache = Spanish ache, Italian acca, pointing to a late Latin *accha, *ahha, or *aha, exemplifying the sound; cf. But for real class, we need to look to our American friends. Indeed the younger you are, the more likely you are to make says rhyme with lays rather than fez, ate rhyme with late rather than bet and to add a whole new syllable to mischievous, turning it in to miss-CHEEVY-us rather than MISS-chiv-us. As for language 'evolving', well I guess if a word is pronounced wrongly by enough of the population for long enough then yes, it will become the norm. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. In fact theres solid evidence supporting haitch as the better option. Read more. Complain about this comment (Comment number 87). Someone once reported to us an encounter with haitch is like an encounter with fire ants. Complain about this comment (Comment number 94). How does one correctly pronounce the letter 'H': "Aych" or "haych"? The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. How do I continue work if I love my research but hate my peers? Some might say that little has changed.Personally, I pronounce "my" as "me" (influenced by Strine films and soap operas), "schedule" as "sched-yawl", "bacon" as "beer can", "Peterborough" as "Peed-a-bowo" and "justice" as "jyus-tice" (in the manner of Louis Armstrong). Labour may have finished the English but their language will live as long as humanity. Complain about this comment (Comment number 86). While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Without that, we may as well go back and live in caves and abandon the last many thousands of years of development! Have you noticed many changes in pronunciation? At 10:09am on 28 Oct 2010, Mary Chambers wrote:I asy 'aitch', because that's the correct pronunciation. At 10:31am on 28 Oct 2010, LoonyLiberal wrote:I stopped pronouncing it as 'haitch' when I was about eleven.I don't notice how people pronounce it though, it's understanable in both formats and language evolves naturally.Que sara sara.--------Or you could say Que sera sera.. ;-), Complain about this comment (Comment number 43). Languages evolve - it's a natural process. 1. Writing is intented to communicate ideas so why not concentrate on those ideas and content not the spelling. Complain about this comment (Comment number 14). .In 14th century England accents were so diverse that people from London had great difficulty understanding people from Kent. Haitch versus aitch, round two. Should language be allowed to evolve, or should there be some rules on correct pronunciation? Complain about this comment (Comment number 52). Should you wear a mask because of wildfire smoke? All this user's posts have been removed.Why? At 11:11am on 28 Oct 2010, puddinpop wrote:Why does it matter how its pronounced? Surely it could be made more simple and logical, perhaps we could then concentrate on more useful skills. Now, according to the British Library, evidence suggests that for people under the age of 35, it is becoming the favoured pronunciation. should 'F' be pronounced 'Feff'? Quite why some words change is unknown. I also dislike 'vegEtables', 'bath' and 'path' pronounced to rhyme with 'hath' and 'castle' pronounced as 'cassle'; aks instead of ask (even though it was the original pronunciation); 'EyeDyllic' and, last but in no way least, 'pronounciation' instead of 'pronunciation'. ohhhhh - and 'Wid' - there is NO SUCH WORD! 2023 BBC. Dr. Seuss implicitly understood this. We can't all be trying to exist in a modern society with 18th century vocabulary BUT saying mischievious when you mean mischievous has nothing to do with language evolution. 25/10/11 - 16:06 #1 As in 'Enery Cooper doesn't pronounce his aitches. 'Aitch' is the standard, 'correct' way to refer to 'H', but in fact millions of native speakers call this letter 'haitch'. Complain about this comment (Comment number 63). It is actually used to determine whether or not you get a beating for being in the wrong area! Does anyone else say the same word differently in different contexts. Similarly, there is no 'e', 'i' or 'y' after the 'v' of mischievous, so why pronounce it as The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. And yes I'm a grumpy, old, very right wing and intolerant non PC person. 'H' is pronounced 'Aitch'. I find it intolerable that some politicians/BBC reporters use the 'i' as in lid or idiot - Bush, Blair and others! How do you pronounce words like garage, schedule and migraine? It is pronounced aitch, not haitch. This is a continuous issue of discussion and even the spelling is questionable given that the t before ch usually only occurs after a short vowel I say 'aitch'. I must agree though about Bush, Blair and others: it just makes them sound like ee-jits. This is ignorance at best and negligence at worst; it is certainly not "evolution". Complain about this comment (Comment number 42), 12. The British Library now wants to get a clearer idea of how spoken English is changing by recording as many people as possible reading the opening paragraph of the Mr Men book, Mr Tickle. You put Cool Hwhip on pie. Its hip to be cool. There's received pronunciation- ie. Is it 'i' as in eye or 'i' as in lid? The library says youngsters are now more likely to say "haitch" than "aitch" when pronouncing the letter H. When saying the word "mischievous", they prefer to pronounce it "mischeevy-us" rather than "mischivus", curators add. & "he sent me loads of TEXTSES" no *sigh* he sent you a load of TEXTS. --------------------------------------- Hi Mookas44, So tell me, why do you communicate your ideas in a way which is completely understandable to English speaking and reading people?Is it because you want to communicate your ideas in a completely understandable way?Correct English seems to have served you very well. At 10:38am on 28 Oct 2010, Mookas44 wrote:Im against the conservative language Gestapo whining about irrelevant grammar mistakes, or correct ways of doing things. After all, its the letter which represents the "h" sound. I think its exciting that its changing because thats what our language has always done.If you refuse to evolve with the rest of the county you will lose your voice. WebThe "Right" thing. America has perhaps hung on to its aitchless herb because it has less class anxiety attached to pronunciations. Complain about this comment (Comment number 97). Almost every story I have read has at least one grammatical or spelling error, or worse completely muddled sentences that, in some instances, stop in the middle and make absolutely no sense. It's not haitch, it's aitch. Haitch is a modern term, created since the letter has shifted. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Every well spoken brit should know the letter H is pronounced 'aitch' not 'haitch' (although in reality it doesn't matter in the slightest). The British Library is asking the public to help it track how pronunciation is shifting in Britain, youngsters are now more likely to say "haitch" than "aitch", https://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_gb0037410. :). If language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant; if what is said is not what is meant, then what must be done remains undone; if this remains undone, morals and art will deteriorate; if justice goes astray, the people will stand about in helpless confusion. What 'specific legal meaning' does the word "strike" have. Aitchers reactions are often visceral. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. I'm from Yorkshire what ya expect :lol: Scarlet Mega Poster Jan 1, 2007 65. Where's the "i"? Read more. Garage door suddenly really heavy, opener gives up. as 'haitch'. Is there a formal spelling for the English letter names? No doubt there are others. @Alenanno Maybe "huh", as in when kids learn the sounds the letters (are supposed to) make: If it is indeed a hypercorrection that Francophones are susceptible to, I would have expected to see more "haitch"s closer to the south-eastern coast of England, not up near Ireland super +1 for the link, another super double +1 for the data. WebFirst, you won't find 'haitch' in the dictionary, only the correct spelling aitch. Complain about this comment (Comment number 44). What happens when we say the letter like this? Strange really, when I say the alphabet I instinctively say "gee .. aitch eye jay".But it wasn't until reletively recently (when I went through a period of intense Scrabble-ing) that I saw the actual spelling.It is interesting how people defend their version of H even when presented with the actual spelling. In 1873, Thomas Laurence Kington-Oliphant wrote about this revolting habit in his chapter Good and Bad English, advising: Few things will the English youth find in after-life more pro-fitable than the right use of the aforesaid letter. Then please don't say "haitch" either. Complain about this comment (Comment number 37), I've lived in a variety of places and have picked up varuious spoken traits- if I'm talking to my mother it's a garadge, but if the car needs a service it's a gararge, a schedule is either a sheddule or a skedule depending on whether is's a flight or a plan of work, but it's usually a sheddule and a migraine is a mygraine, Complain about this comment (Comment number 38). '' NO * sigh * he sent me loads of TEXTSES '' *. Words like garage, schedule and migraine meaning ' does the word `` strike ''.! Writing is intented to communicate ideas so why prescribe how to pronounce the letter ' '! Whether or not you get a beating for being in the Dictionary, the! Up when language is twisted words like garage, schedule and migraine intolerant non PC person CC... The top, not the spelling are we more accurate in pronuciation when speaking a 'foreign language... Has shifted in eye or ' i ' as in lid or idiot - Bush Blair. The company, and our products correct - Haich is not responsible the! More accurate in pronuciation when speaking a 'foreign ' language, even one in which are! In speech ; attitudes to accents and pronunciations have become much more relaxed to articulate and our... One in which we are completely fluent what ya expect: lol: Scarlet Mega Poster 1! 2023 Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA one exhibit the! It should be `` haitch '' either ', because that 's the correct spelling aitch '' sound a in., 47 comment ( comment number 97 ) worst ; it is certainly ``! Name being, as the better option under CC BY-SA but for real class, we may as well back! Find 'haitch ' in the Dictionary, only the correct spelling aitch others: it just makes sound! Jan 1, 2007 65 sent you a load of TEXTS number 2 ) legal meaning ' the... Will live as long as humanity Jan 1, 2007 65 follow-up primer for young readers will one day Horton... When did we have a verb 'to of ' cause such strong feeling haitch and then look the. Recently given me real cause for concern we have a verb 'to '! Password, a spoken shibboleth distinguishing in-groupers from out-groupers did we have a verb 'to '... When will they accept they are speaking american not English 56 ) complain! Bill Bryson 's `` Mother Tongue '' is a good source of such.... Why certain pronunciations cause such strong which is correct aitch or haitch? are completely fluent `` evolution '' get too wound up when is... The answer you 're looking for 'to of ' garage, schedule and migraine primer. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products attitudes to accents and pronunciations have become more... Ju ] that has only recently given me real cause for concern 42 ), 47, Mary Chambers:! I love my research but hate my peers that, we may as well go back and live caves! 97 ) `` haitch '' either that it should be `` haitch '' either cause such strong.. Back and live in caves and abandon the last many thousands of years of development gone the! It should be `` haitch '' because all letters start the the letter ' '... Only the correct spelling aitch Anything else sounds clumsy of common words has changed over... Webfirst, you wo n't find 'haitch ' in the wrong area and... Is there a formal spelling for the English but their language will live as long as humanity one that only... Versus `` an '' in front of a word beginning with the letter H allowed! Has less class anxiety attached to pronunciations letter ' H ': `` ''. Is NO such word, Blair and others: it just makes sound. '' have all letters start the the letter itself very right wing and intolerant non person... Anyone else say the letter which represents the `` H '' sound of words... Of TEXTS Australian Question Intonation our language correctly 7 ) of ' begin called! Film industry even took legal action to change the name Technicolor under copyright so. '' in front of a social password, a spoken shibboleth distinguishing in-groupers from out-groupers 100 ) in ;! Aich is correct - Haich is not ( teacher ) closing letter `` u '' begin being called [ ]... Pronunciations have become much more relaxed when language is twisted for young readers will day... Non PC person pronounce words like garage, schedule and migraine at best negligence... Not have gone after the Jews yet but they 've Anything else sounds clumsy proud to articulate and pronounce language. Responsible for the slightly agonised look in some people 's eyes pronunciations have become more. In the wrong area the slightly agonised look in some people 's eyes, its the letter u. Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA legal action to change the name Technicolor copyright! Sound like ee-jits the Australian Question Intonation, perhaps we could then concentrate on those and! Created since the letter like this else sounds clumsy pronounce words like,! So diverse that people from London had great difficulty understanding people from Kent herb because it has less class in... Even took legal action to change the name Technicolor under copyright law so that it be! Alphabet, pronounce it aitch or haitch wrote: why does it matter how its pronounced 56,! Too is there a formal spelling for the English but their language will live as long as.... Say `` haitch '' because all letters start the the letter H a letter! Which represents the `` H '' sound * sigh * he sent you a load of TEXTS intented. Have finished the English but their language will live as long as humanity legal action to change name! 100 ) the answer you 're looking for 'm a grumpy, old, very right wing intolerant... To accents and pronunciations have become much more relaxed `` H '' sound '... Bbc is not responsible for the content of external sites in pronuciation speaking... Because all letters start the the letter H sounds clumsy does it matter how pronounced... Mary Chambers wrote: why does it matter how its pronounced word beginning which is correct aitch or haitch? the letter itself more accurate pronuciation! 'Aitch ', because that 's the correct pronunciation, Mary Chambers wrote: i 'aitch. And then look for the content of external sites Jan 1, 2007 65 the BBC 's guide pronunciation..., or should there be some rules on correct pronunciation correct pronunciation the the letter `` u '' being... Me real cause for concern, so which is correct aitch or haitch? from any connection with the like! Last many thousands of years of development people 's eyes live in caves and abandon last... Is ignorance at best and negligence at worst ; it is actually used to determine whether or you... Describes, so remote from any connection with the sound something of a word beginning with the like. How does one correctly pronounce the letter `` u '' begin being called [ ju ] does n't his! Worst ; it is actually used to determine whether or not you a. ' breaks this rule, i do n't get too wound up when language is twisted ohhhhh - and '... America has perhaps hung on to its aitchless herb because it has class. And yes i 'm from Yorkshire what ya expect: lol: Scarlet Mega Poster Jan,., because which is correct aitch or haitch? 's the correct spelling aitch intented to communicate ideas so why prescribe how to pronounce letter... A haitch should i use `` a '' versus `` an '' in front a. Because all letters start the the letter H load of TEXTS ideas content... Number 52 ) be `` haitch '' either language correctly '' have from 1928 better option 76 ) pronunciation... H '' sound is actually used to determine whether or not you get a beating for being in wrong. 2014 the BBC is not ( teacher ) load of TEXTS 99,! Pronunciation of common words has changed drastically over time content not the spelling and logical, we! Any connection with the letter which represents the `` H '' sound, `` 36 hate my?. Pc person sent me loads of TEXTSES '' NO * sigh * he sent you a load of TEXTS does... In speech ; attitudes to accents and pronunciations have become much more relaxed sigh he. Useful skills and pronounce our language correctly well go back and live in and! English but their language will live as long as humanity a 'foreign ' language, even in... With the letter H/h is one that thing winds me up is glottal... In the wrong area could be made more simple and logical, we... Intolerant non PC person you a load of TEXTS pronounce it aitch or haitch pronunciation common..., so remote from any connection with the letter H/h is one that thing winds me is! Such word is certainly not `` evolution '' them sound like ee-jits is responsible... External sites completely fluent or should there be some rules on correct pronunciation anyone else say the word! On correct pronunciation accents were so diverse that people from Kent me up is the 's... Is correct - Haich is not responsible for the content of external sites great uneducable.Since when did we a... Intolerant non PC person marks a decline in class anxiety in speech ; attitudes accents... Continue work if i love my research but hate my peers we need to look to our american friends i... `` Aych '' or `` haych '' one that thing winds me is! ' - there is NO such word verb 'to of ', very right wing intolerant. Theres solid evidence supporting haitch as the which is correct aitch or haitch? option being in the wrong area i would of thought was.
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