How to pronounce "H" (newspaper commentary).

Question

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,2039694,00.html

> All the dictionaries in my house agree that aitch is > correct. One authority, bearing the mighty imprimaturs of > both Oxford University and the BBC, concedes that haitch is > standard practice in Ireland but rules it out on this side > of the water. Yet it seems to me, after listening closely > over the past month or two, that haitch is on the march and > aitch is on the retreat. Just as the pushy aggressive grey > squirrel has almost extirpated the timorous red one, so > muscular abrasive haitch may have done for poor gentle aitch > before long.

Lisp: You shoot yourself in the appendage which holds the gun with which you shoot yourself in the appendage which holds the gun with which you shoot yourself in the appendage which holds the gun with which you shoot yourself in the appendage which holds the gun with

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,2039694,00.html> All the dictionaries in my house agree that aitch is > correct. One authority, bearing the mighty imprimaturs ... extirpated the timorous red one, so > muscular abrasive haitch may have done for poor gentle aitch > before long.[/nq]
Huh?

YOP...

Usenet · Answer

@news.ducksburg.com:
[nq:1]http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,2039694,00.html> All the dictionaries in my house agree that aitch is > correct. One authority, bearing the mighty imprimaturs ... extirpated the timorous red one, so > muscular abrasive haitch may have done for poor gentle aitch > before long.[/nq]
Kibo his own self will prolly tell you that the correct pronunciamation of "H" is "TEH COMBAT ROD OF RHETON".
But it's spelled "H".
All the best,
Jotehcombatrodofrhetonn.

Usenet · Answer

--

Usenet · Answer

* Adam Funk wrote, On 3/22/07 5:20 PM:
[nq:1]http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,2039694,00.html> All the dictionaries in my house agree that aitch is > correct. One authority, bearing the mighty imprimaturs ... extirpated the timorous red one, so > muscular abrasive haitch may have done for poor gentle aitch > before long.[/nq]
It's all a nasty plot by the French!
They mock you English types-a!
Maintenant, Fetchez la vache!

anTon O'Masia ( antonomasia gmail com )

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]I have heard British people say "haitch", but it is rarely used by those who consider themselves[/nq]
[nq:1]to be educated. Perhaps its use has something to do with the tendency of some people to pronounce words or ... who pronounce the bank name "Barclay's" as "Barclay's" (as one would expect from the spelling) instead of the standard "Barclizz".[/nq]
Barclizz? Haven't ever heard that!
The BBC was, recently, running advertisements for Credit Suisse. The voiceover pronounced it "credit swiss" though I think it should be "credee" sweese"
I live in Moscow. You'd laugh to hear how they pronounce "H" here. How about "Garry Potter"? "Gamburg"?
Strangest mismatch between sight and sound I ever came across was a person's name spelled "Featherstonehaugh" and pronounced "Fanshaw"

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The BBC was, recently, running advertisements for Credit Suisse. The voiceover pronounced it "credit swiss" though I think it should be "credee" sweese"[/nq]
Like "cheese swiss", yes.
[nq:1]I live in Moscow. You'd laugh to hear how they pronounce "H" here. How about "Garry Potter"? "Gamburg"?[/nq]
I've been told that you can tell a mathematics book has been translated from Russian by someone who's not familiar with mathematical history if it talks about "Gilbert's Problems".
[nq:1]Strangest mismatch between sight and sound I ever came across was a person's name spelled "Featherstonehaugh" and pronounced "Fanshaw"[/nq]
The second (and best) edition of Fowler's Modern English Usage (I'm not sure about the infamous Burchfield one) lists a number of these under "pronunciation -> 10. Proper Names".

The generation of random numbers is too important to be left to chance. (Robert R. Coveyou)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The BBC was, recently, running advertisements for Credit Suisse. The voiceover pronounced it "credit swiss" though I think it should be "credee" sweese"[/nq]
Like we don't in the UK pronounce Paris as Paree.
Yes, that is the French pronunciation but in Britain we pronounce it as the voiceover did.
I doubt that this was on the BBC as they don't carry advertisements - except possibly if it is just for showing outside the UK.

I can imagine that Americans are even less likely to buy from an organisation which is pronounced in the authentic manner. Of course, a British accent is a different matter.
[nq:1]Like "cheese swiss", yes.[/nq]
[nq:2]I live in Moscow. You'd laugh to hear how they pronounce "H" here. How about "Garry Potter"? "Gamburg"?[/nq]
[nq:1]I've been told that you can tell a mathematics book has been translated from Russian by someone who's not familiar with mathematical history if it talks about "Gilbert's Problems".[/nq]
In fact, the Jewish name Gurevitz, Horovitz are of the same origin for the same reason.
Nick

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Strangest mismatch between sight and sound I ever came across was a person's name spelled "Featherstonehaugh" and pronounced "Fanshaw"[/nq]
Every "Nanny and the Professor" addict knows about Cholmondeley Featherstonehaugh. Now tell us about Mr. Luxury Yacht and his pampshire that the vicar compelled him to walisbury.

¬R

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Strangest mismatch between sight and sound I ever came across was a person's name spelled "Featherstonehaugh" and pronounced "Fanshaw"[/nq]
I was thrown at first by the one that's spelled "Blair" but pronounced "Total and Complete ****", but I eventually got used to it.
butting

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~butting
Available for IT work in Hamilton, NZ from April: see http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~butting/work.html for details.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,2039694,00.html> All the dictionaries in my house agree that aitch is > correct. One authority, bearing the mighty imprimaturs ... extirpated the timorous red one, so > muscular abrasive haitch may have done for poor gentle aitch > before long.[/nq]
This reminds me of the time I was corrected by a midwesterner in the pronounciation of the third dimension you know, length, width, and "higth".
Also of a Spanish native speaker's fluent in English self- deprecation of other less accomplished speakers' self-conscious and not quite idiomatic version of a local place name: "Murray HHill"

But really, I haven't noticed any outbreak of haitchism I hear it as a Cockney over-correction to a self-conscious awareness of their h- nakedness, having eaten of the fruit of the tree of the queen's English.

How to pronounce "H" (newspaper commentary).

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬