H is the eighth letter of the Latin alphabet and represents a consonant sound, commonly called "aitch" in English. It is used as a prefix to indicate approximation in informal English (e.g., "3ish"), is sometimes silent (e.g., "hour"), and functions as a symbol in chemistry (Hydrogen).
His/Her Imperial and Royal Highness (HI&RH) His/Her Imperial Highness (HIH) His/Her Royal Highness (HRH)
In British English, the 'h' sound is generally a soft, breathy exhalation from the throat (like a light sigh or steaming up a mirror), pronounced at the start of words like happy, but often dropped in unstressed function words (e.g., "got 'im"). The letter's name, 'h', is usually pronounced 'aitch' (/ˈeɪtʃ/) but can also be 'haitch' (/ˈheɪtʃ/), especially in some dialects or as a conscious effort to avoid 'h'-dropping.
Formally, the word historic begins with a consonant sound and so the form a historic is preferred in formal writing. However, many people prefer the form an historic in informal writing and speech for personal reasons. The Renaissance was a historic time in European history.
H-dropping or aitch-dropping is the deletion of the voiceless glottal fricative or "H-sound", [h]. The phenomenon is common in many dialects of English, and is also found in certain other languages, either as a purely historical development or as a contemporary difference between dialects.
A and an are different forms of the same word, the indefinite article that often precedes a noun. A is used before a noun that starts with a consonant sound (e.g., “s,” “t,” “v”). An is used before a noun that starts with a vowel sound (e.g., “a,” “o,” “i”).
What is a synonym for historic?
The word “hotel” begins with the letter “h,” which is a consonant. However, the pronunciation of the word “hotel” can vary among speakers. In some accents or dialects, the “h” in “hotel” is pronounced, making it a consonant sound, as in “a hotel.” This is the most common usage in standard English.
In Britain, H apparently owes its “haitch” pronunciation to the Catholic Normans, who brought the old French word “hache” with them when they invaded in 1066. With aitch and haitch, it still seems to be linked to the speaker's religion. According to Rosen, “haitch” is the Catholic way and “aitch” is the Protestant way.
In texting and online conversations, 'hh' often stands for 'ha ha,' representing laughter or amusement. It's like an informal nod to humor in our digital dialogues.
Prince Harry and Meghan lost the use of the titles when they stopped being working royals in 2020 and left the UK, initially to move to Canada and then to the US. "The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the Royal Family," said a statement from Buckingham Palace at the time.
When used as a direct form of address, spoken or written, it takes the form Your Royal Highness. When used as a third-person reference, it is gender-specific (His Royal Highness or Her Royal Highness, both abbreviated HRH) and in plural, Their Royal Highnesses (TRH).
"An owl" is correct because the indefinite article "an" is used before words that start with a vowel sound, and "owl" begins with the /oʊ/ vowel sound, even though it's spelled with a consonant 'o'. You use "a" before consonant sounds (like "a cat") and "an" before vowel sounds (like "an hour" or "an umbrella").
For example, some struggle with the question of which article to use before an abbreviation like “FBI.” F is a consonant and it stands for a word that begins with a consonant sound, “federal.” But when you say the letter F, you start with a vowel sound: “eff.” That's why when you're speaking, you say “an FBI agent” and ...
Write what you say. MBA is an initialism, pronounced “em be ayy” (or something like that). It begins, then, with a vowel sound: write “an MBA.” On the other hand, write “a master of business administration degree.” (For definitions of initialism and other types of abbreviations, see CMOS 10.2.)
The modern majuscule H is derived directly from the Latin. The cursive Latin form resembled a stylized version of the modern minuscule h, as did the uncial form.
Slop. Merriam-Webster's human editors have chosen slop as the 2025 Word of the Year. We define slop as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” All that stuff dumped on our screens, captured in just four letters: the English language came through again.
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is widely accepted as the most complete record of the English language ever assembled. Unlike typical language dictionaries, which only define words in terms of their current uses and meanings, the OED is a historical dictionary.