H Aspire in French | What is Aspirated H in French

 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.

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