Why is aitch pronounced as Haitch?

Why is aitch pronounced as Haitch?

Because they can’t quite bring themselves to believe that the name of the letter H doesn’t begin with an H. They’re afraid of sounding uneducated, so they make a point of pronouncing it very firmly as “haitch,” whereas educated people who know better, actually pronounce it “aitch.”

Why do British people say Haitch instead of H?

Haitch has the pedigree The name aitch might be a sign of high education in some circles, but is itself an example of H-dropping. Deriving from medieval French hache or “axe” (hatchet and hashtag are relatives), it also arrived in English H-less (like humble and herb).

Do Australians say Haitch or Aitch?

In a 1944 session of Australian Parliament, then-Senate president Gordon Brown said he had heard various members of Parliament pronounce H as ‘haitch’. ‘Whereas its proper pronunciation,’ Brown opined, ‘is aitch. ‘

Is it wrong to say Haitch?

Almost two thousand years later we are still split, and pronouncing H two ways: “aitch”, which is posh and “right”; and “haitch”, which is not posh and thus “wrong”.

Is it wrong to pronounce H Haitch?

How do you say h in Northern Ireland?

The oddly named letter H is usually pronounced ‘aitch’ /eɪtʃ/ in British English, but in Ireland we tend to aspirate it as ‘haitch’ /heɪtʃ/. This haitching is a distinctive feature of Hiberno-English, one that may have originated as an a hypercorrection but is now the norm in most Irish dialects.

Do British say Mom or Mum?

One word in particular that stands out in English dialects is the word we use for our mothers. The British typically use ‘mum’, and the Americans, ‘mom’. But why is there such a difference in spelling and pronunciation when both nations speak the same language?

Why do English say leftenant?

According to military customs, a lower ranking soldier walks on the left side of a senior officer. This courtesy developed when swords were still used on the battle field. The lower ranked soldier on the “left” protected the senior officers left side. Therefore, the term leftenant developed.