Fricatives
How to pronounce /h/ H as in hi
hibehindperhaps
How to make it
Just breathe out gently through an open mouth. Nothing touches.
- Tongue
- Already shaped for the next vowel
- Lips
- Already shaped for the next vowel
- Voice
- Air only, no buzz
Watch the mouth
A quiet breath out, right before the vowel starts.
Where learners slip
- Spanish speakersOften pushed too hard, like a Spanish J.
- Russian speakersPushed too hard, closer to a Russian X.
- French speakersH is silent in French, so hi can land as eye.
Say it on real English. See if it lands.
Lang Shadow scores /h/ every time you say it — in Shorts, in role plays and in your own words — and colours it next to the other 40 sounds.