Pronunciation
h is silent
The letter h does not make a sound. hola starts with o. hablar starts with a. ahora starts with a.
h
Typical mistake
English h is a puff of air. That puff on hola is easy to hear, and it also pulls the vowel toward “whole”.
How to make the sound
- 01Drop the h before you start the word.
- 02hola = ola. hablar = ablar. ahora = aora.
- 03If you feel air on your hand at the start of hola, the h is still there.
Practice words
hola
starts with o
hablar
starts with a
ahora
starts with a
hasta
starts with a
Questions
- Is h ever pronounced?
- In this Latin American target, h is silent. The breathy sound you want is usually j, as in jugo.
- What about the h in ch?
- ch is its own consonant, as in mucho. That is not the silent h.
Check h out loud
Record a phrase with this sound — the teacher will tell you if you landed it.