What is the /h/ Sound?
First, let's look at a few examples of words with the English /h/ sound:
- his
- hall
- hook
- behave
- uphill
- anyhow
According to Baruch College's Tools for Clear Speech, the /h/ sound is made by doing the following:
"/h/ is made in your throat, with the glottis. Your vocal folds should be slightly tightened, to narrow your airway. Push air up through your airway into your mouth. You should feel some friction."
If you need more help articulating the /h/ sound, check out this video to learn the correct tongue and mouth placement.
Practicing the /h/ Sound
Everything you need to pronounce the English /h/ sound correctly is on this page. Just follow the instructions.
What do you have to do?
Practice for 5 minutes a day for 7 days.
That’s it.
Your goal is to pronounce the /h/ sound clearly and easily by the end of day 7.
Let’s do it!
This guide to the American English /h/ sound is full of useful information. Click the link below to jump to the part you are looking for:
- Day 1 of the /h/ sound
- Day 2 of the /h/ sound
- Day 3 of the /h/ sound
- Day 4 of the /h/ sound
- Day 5 of the /h/ sound
- Day 6 of the /h/ sound
- Day 7 of the /h/ sound
- Additional /h/ sound resources
- PDF download of the /h/ sound
Day 1: The /h/ Sound
If you are ready, let’s start with the practice for day one.
It’s pretty simple.
Watch the video and follow along.
Listen and repeat.
🔊 Click here to listen to the audio version
Minimal Pairs
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /h/ sound and similar sounds like /f/ or /r/.
- fate - hate
- fare - hare
- hat - rat
- him - rim
Vowel Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /h/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.
- hold - held - hailed
- hall - hill - heel - hail
Syllable Stress Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /h/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.
- hammer
- husband
- somehow
- inhalation
Reduced Sounds Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /h/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.
- He could not have held the hammer.
- Tell her to invite her husband.
Tongue Twister Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /h/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.
- Harry has done his whole homework at home by himself.
- Harry the hungry, hungry hippo is happily eating ham in his house.
Day 2: The /h/ Sound
Just like day one, except simpler.
Watch the video and follow along.
Listen and repeat.
🔊 Click here to listen to the audio version
Minimal Pairs
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /h/ sound and similar sounds like /f/ or /r/.
- fail - hail
- fall - hall
- ham - ram
- head - red
Vowel Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /h/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.
- hide - head - heed - hid
- hair - he - how - hi
Syllable Stress Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /h/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.
- rehearsal
- grasshopper
- hairy
- healthier
Reduced Sounds Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /h/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.
- There must be a way to fix it somehow
- It is just going downhill now, thanks to him.
Tongue Twister Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /h/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.
- Half the harmony he has is high.
- Groundhogs hate horseradish.
Day 3: The /h/ Sound
Today will be the last day you only listen and repeat.
Tomorrow, you will have to start to speak.
But let’s focus on today.
Just like yesterday, watch the video and follow along.
Listen and repeat.
🔊 Click here to listen to the audio version
Minimal Pairs
Your Goal: To feel the difference between the /h/ sound and similar sounds like /f/ or /r/.
- funny - honey
- farm - harm
- hide - ride
- hail - rail
Vowel Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /h/ sound while also improving your pronunciation of the English vowel sounds.
- hake - hark - hook
- home - harm - whom
Syllable Stress Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /h/ sound while also developing a better understanding of proper syllable stress.
- downhill
- behavior
- ahead
- honey
Reduced Sounds Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /h/ sound while also working on linking words and phrases together.
- Don’t you have rehearsal right now?
- When did you change the name to hairy grasshoppers?
Tongue Twister Collection
Your Goal: To practice the /h/ sound while improving your speaking speed and enunciation.
- Harry Hunt hunts heavy hairy hares.
- Happy hippies hop in heathered hideouts.
Day 4: The /h/ Sound
Time to speak.
You will notice that these are the words, phrases, and sentences you repeated on day one.
Today, your job is different.
Open up a Google Doc, enable voice typing and speak.
Watch the video to see how it works.
- fate - hate
- fare - hare
- hat - rat
- him - rim
- hold - held - hailed
- hall - hill - heel - hail
- hammer
- husband
- somehow
- inhalation
- He could not have held the hammer.
- Tell her to invite her husband.
- Harry has done his whole homework at home by himself.
- Harry the hungry, hungry hippo is happily eating ham in his house.
Day 5: The /h/ Sound
Let’s revisit the words, phrases, and sentences you practiced on day two.
Just like yesterday, open up a Google Doc, enable voice typing, and get ready to speak.
Let’s do it!
- fail - hail
- fall - hall
- ham - ram
- head - red
- hide - head - heed - hid
- hair - he - how - hi
- rehearsal
- grasshopper
- hairy
- healthier
- There must be a way to fix it somehow
- It is just going downhill now, thanks to him.
- Half the harmony he has is high.
- Groundhogs hate horseradish.
TIP*** Are there some words that the computer does not understand no matter how many times you say them? No worries, just skip it and move on. No one is perfect.
Day 6: The /h/ Sound
You are so close to day 7.
Be proud that you have made it this far :)
In today’s lesson, let’s circle back to the words, phrases, and sentences you repeated on day three and practice saying them aloud.
Again, open up a Google Doc and let’s get started.
- funny - honey
- farm - harm
- hide - ride
- hail - rail
- hake - hark - hook
- home - harm - whom
- downhill
- behavior
- ahead
- honey
- Don’t you have rehearsal right now?
- When did you change the name to hairy grasshoppers?
- Harry Hunt hunts heavy hairy hares.
- Happy hippies hop in heathered hideouts.
Day 7: The /h/ Sound
Congratulations!!!
You have made it to the very last day of this /h/ sound practice course.
Do you feel like your pronunciation of this sound is improving?
Let’s finish with a simple, but challenging exercise.
Just like you did on days 4, 5, and 6, open up a Google Doc and enable voice typing.
This time, try to get the technology to recognize these six tongue twisters.
- Harry has done his whole homework at home by himself.
- Harry the hungry, hungry hippo is happily eating ham in his house.
- Half the harmony he has is high.
- Groundhogs hate horseradish.
- Harry Hunt hunts heavy hairy hares.
- Happy hippies hop in heathered hideouts.
Now, turn voice typing off and try to say each tongue twister as fast as possible.
Watch the video to learn how to go through this exercise.
Additional Resources: The /h/ Sound
Words with the /h/ sound
| Beginning | Middle | End |
| his | beforehand | |
| hill | behave | |
| hall | behavior | |
| hint | uphill | |
| hat | rehear | |
| ham | rehearsal | |
| how | pothole | |
| hello | doghouse | |
| home | birdhouse | |
| herb | downhill | |
| hook | beehive | |
| hang | reheat | |
| harm | fishhook | |
| hair | behind | |
| horse | buttonhole | |
| head | grasshopper | |
| hand | anyhow | |
| hard | somehow | |
| hero | inhale | |
| help | inhalation | |
| hope | ahead | |
| house | inherit | |
| health | groundhog | |
| husband | hedgehog | |
| honey | lighthouse | |
| humor | playhouse | |
| height | redhead | |
| high | forehead | |
| hike | beforehand | |
| hold | pigeonhole |
Minimal Pair Collection
Minimal Pair /f/ and /h/ fat hat
fate - hate
fare - hare
fail - hail
fall - hall
funny - honey
farm - harm
five - hive
fear - hear
follow - hollow
force - horse
Minimal Pair initial /h/ and /r/ hat rat
hat - rat
him - rim
ham - ram
head red
hide - ride
hail - rail
hair - rare
haven - raven
height -right
hope - rope
Minimal Pair initial /h/ and no /h/*
hold - old
hail - ale
heel - eel
hake - ache
hark - ark
hall - all
hand - and
hate - eight
hear - ear
hearing - earring
Vowel Collection
hold - held - hailed
hall - hill - heel - hail
hide - head - heed - hid
hair - he - how - hi
hake - hark - hook
home - harm - whom
Syllable Stress Collection
- hammer
- husband
- somehow
- inhalation
- rehearsal
- grasshopper
- hairy
- healthier
- downhill
- behavior
- ahead
- honey
Reduced Sounds Collection
- He could not have held the hammer.
- Tell her to invite her husband.
- There must be a way to fix it somehow
- It is just going downhill now, thanks to him.
- Don’t you have rehearsal right now?
- When did you change the name to hairy grasshoppers?
Tongue Twister Collection
- Harry has done his whole homework at home by himself.
- Harry the hungry, hungry hippo is happily eating ham in his house.
- Half the harmony he has is high.
- Groundhogs hate horseradish.
- Harry Hunt hunts heavy hairy hares.
- Happy hippies hop in heathered hideouts.
Additional Resources
- Tools for Clear Speech /h/ profile
- Rachel’s English Video on the /h/ sound
- American English Pronunciation consonant sound /h/
- TEFLpedia /h/ sound
Additional Activities for All Sounds
Practice Three Words
Answer the following question:
What do you like to do in your free time?
Pick one, two, or three words from the word bank and include them in your response. If it helps, you may write out the example sentences with the word in context first.
Youglish Research
Visit the Youglish website. Pick a word or phrase you would like to practice. Enter it into the Youglish search bar. Find three examples of the word or phrase in context to shadow.
Teacher Time
During your next English speaking practice session with a teacher or conversation partner, have a list of three to five words you would like to use. Give yourself a point every time you use the word correctly in context and it is understood. Aim to score 5 points within the first 10 minutes (so the rest of the time you focus just on communicating).
Voice Typing
Write out three sentences with challenging words or phrases. Use Google Docs or any other software with the ability to turn speech to text. Read these sentences aloud and check to see if your pronunciation is correct.
***There are a ton of possibilities. These are just a few ideas. Use the word bank, tongue twisters, example sentences, and other resources on this page to continue to work on this sound.
If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments below. I read and respond to all of them.
Download the PDF version of this 7-day mini-course.
Plus the PDF-version of every single English sound for free.
