what does the H sound like in spanish

Question

I want to learn the spanish Alfabete

Answer 1

It doesn't sound like anything. It is silent. Always. Most of the time, you will be helped if you ignore that it is even there.

However, sometimes it does serve to make a division between syllables, particularly between a closed vowel (a, e, o) and an open vowel (i, u), the combination of which would normally form a diphthong (a combination of two vowels pronounced together as one sound). This is true particularly where an accent mark cannot be used to distinguish the two vowels; but even in this case, the h does not have a sound, and it does not change the sound of either vowel, in my layman's opinion. Example: ahijar. This is a three-syllable word; without the h, it would be a two-syllable word.

Most of the time the Spanish h appears to have no purpose or function, other than maybe to make a clear (more obvious) distinction between syllables (but its absence would make no difference). One of our resident linguists can explain the letter's purpose and function, and clarify this and the preceding paragraph if I am not entirely correct about these things.

Answer 2

Follow the link to know the sound of each letter:

http://www.spanishdict.com/answers/100209/spanish-alphabet-how-do-letters-sound

This, or some version of it, should probably be put up as a tutorial. - hhmdirocco, Aug 7, 2009

Very helpful. Thank you Lazarus! - Valerie, Aug 7, 2009

Wow, very impressive. You should post this as a reference article! (Go as if to ask a question, but choose the reference category...) - Toph, Aug 7, 2009

Answer 3

It doesn't. The H is always silent. Remove it, the the word will sound exactly the same, like "honour", "heir", "hour",... in English.

By the way, the word is "alfabeto".

Answer 4

In Spain we also say "güevo" instead of "huevo", but these phonetic peculiarities go beyond the above introduction to standard Spanish pronunciation. If you follow those rules, your Spanish should be clear and correct enough, even though peoplel in different areas do pronounce some sounds in a slightly different manner. No one is going to correct you if you don't pronounce the letter H in a typical Spanish word.

Answer 5

Aunque debido a lagran extensión del fenómeno ahora la RAE acepta también la escritura "guarache".

Interesante ... de hecho, DRAE da una definici "guarache," y "huarache" - hhmdirocco, Aug 7, 2009

Interesante ... de hecho, DRAE da una definición de "guarache," y "huarache" nada más te refiere a "guarache". De todos modos, no es mucha la diferencia de pronunciación entre los dos. - hhmdirocco, Aug 7, 2009

Answer 6

El siguiente fenómeno ocurre en México

huarache es pronunciado "guarache" hiede es pronunciado "jiede"

Aunque se supone que no debe tener sonido así ocurre en varias palabras más.

Es cierto, aunque no debe ser así. Gracias por notarlo, Toni. - hhmdirocco, Aug 7, 2009

They say hiede the same way in Nicaragua: "jiede" - Lezipo, Aug 7, 2009

Answer 7

Es silencio. It does not have a sound. It is absolutly silent. Kind of like the S in French.