Almost the last word

Aitch issue Why do Hs get dropped in some languages? Greek mythology is full of names starting with an H, yet the H sound is dropped in modern Greek, and also in Italian, French and Cockney English. Jo MurphyWaikanae, New Zealand It takes regular, even breathing to talk out loud. The letter H is aspirated. This means it requires conscious breath control, a little punch of air, to say “H” even if we aren’t aware we are doing this. Try saying “I want some herbs” then “I want some ’erbs”. You will then be aware of that extra breath, however slight. It is easier for an Italian person to say “’erb” in the middle of (often fast) speech. Bob LaddEdinburgh, UK The question treats “H” as a special case, but there is no real basis for…

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New Scientist (Digital) - 1 Issue, 23-Apr-22

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