A to Z French Grammar Episode 7
Despite the name, the h aspiré is not aspirated or otherwise pronounced in French. Nevertheless, it is distinct from the h muet in that it does not allow elisions or liaisons – the h acts like a consonant.
Par exemple : Je hais les hamacs.
No Elision: ❌j’hais❌, Correct is Je hais✅ (the omission of a sound or syllable when speaking (as in I’m, let’s,, the process of joining together or merging things, ).)
No Liaison: ❌les+hamacs❌ Correct is Les Hamacs✅(Linking of words)
In French spelling, aspirated “h” (French: h aspiré) is an initial silent letter that represents a hiatus at a word boundary, between the word’s first vowel and the preceding word’s last vowel. At the same time, the aspirated h stops the normal processes of contraction and liaison from occurring.
HIATUS: A temporary gap, pause, break, or absence can be called a hiatus.
10 French words that start with an “h aspiré” along with explanations:
Hôpital – Hospital: The “h” in “hôpital” is aspirated, so there is no liaison or elision.
Hibou – Owl: Similarly, “hibou” begins with an
Le hibou/ l’hibou- le hibou=
aspirated “h”, so there’s no liaison or elision.
Hiver – Winter: The “h” in “hiver” is aspirated, so no liaison or elision occurs.
Horloge – Clock: “Horloge” starts with an aspirated “h”, so no liaison or elision is required.
Haricot – Bean: In “haricot”, the “h” is aspirated, so no liaison or elision is used.
Huile – Oil: The “h” in “huile” is aspirated, so it stands alone without a liaison or elision.
Hélicoptère – Helicopter: “Hélicoptère” begins with an aspirated “h”, so there’s no liaison or elision.
Hache – Axe: Similarly, “hache” starts with an aspirated “h”, so there’s no liaison or elision.
Hérisson – Hedgehog: In “hérisson”, the “h” is aspirated, so no liaison or elision occurs.
Hôtel – Hotel: “Hôtel” begins with an aspirated “h”, so no liaison or elision is required.