Forum Topic

aitch or haitch

When asked my surname I always say aitch but I seem to be in the minority.  It comes under A in the dictionary yet haitch seems to prevail. Any ideas why?

patricia Hensby ● 280d26 Comments

As Sir Alf Ramsey who it was rumoured , had had elecution lessons is alleged to have said when the floodlights failed was asked what had happened." How do I know I ain't no helectrician "

David Burke ● 274d

I've always believed that 'aitch' is correct.  And 'haitch' is a misunderstanding.

V Killick ● 274d

In my home town, Bolton, we normally refer to our parents as Mater & Pater.

Will Watson ● 277d

"Mam" is quite common in the North of England, especially in the North-East.

Robert Fish ● 277d

'Interestingly I also noted that many West Midlands folk talk about their ‘mom’, as in America, South Africa etc but everywhere else in the UK uses ‘mum’.Anyone else noticed that?'Jess Phillips MP mentions this a lot.

Susan Kelly ● 277d

Yes. I had staff in our Midlands office who also used haitch. Interestingly I also noted that many West Midlands folk talk about their ‘mom’, as in America, South Africa etc but everywhere else in the UK uses ‘mum’. Anyone else noticed that?

Steve Taylor ● 277d

Haitch is by no means confined to London. It was common, although not the dominant usage, in Yorkshire seventy years ago.

Robert Fish ● 277d

Agree with NVB that Haitch is a London thing.

Janice Evans ● 277d

“Even among the highly educated. My nephew (PhD) says it and it makes me wince inwardly.”Therein lies the problem. Why are older people so scared of correcting the ‘youth’? And of course gaining a PhD these days doesn’t elevate one from being  a total pleb. A PhD is just one discipline and could be quite meaningless and useless.

Steve Taylor ● 279d

I think we can all see one, Alistair. The Observers Book of How to look a Complete Idiot, by Alistair Banton, with Foreword by Alistair Banton, edited by Alistair Banton, published by - guess who? Correct. Book signing in Waterstones, by appointment only. Form an orderly queue, all 3 of you! Thanks for giving us all a good laugh - keep up the good work.

Brian Coyle ● 279d

I think I see a new self-help book on the way - The Uncoyled Life? or Elocution Tips for Doctors of Philosophy?  If you need someone to write the forward, just ask.

Alastair Banton ● 279d

Susan, why don't you ask your nephew why he pronounces the word incorrectly? You might then not have to wince inwardly.

Brian Coyle ● 279d

'haitch' seems to have become more common among young people in recent years, even among the highly educated. My nephew (PhD) says it and it makes me wince inwardly.

Susan Kelly ● 279d

Pronunciation in all its aspects evolves over time and the reasons are many, various and often mysterious.  Listening to any recording of voices from a few decades ago will often cause surprise or amusement.  Fortunately class snobbery over accents is diminishing though ‘aitch’ vs ‘haitch’ seems to be an exception as is rhyming words like ‘off’ with ‘’wharf’.  In Northern Ireland pronouncing h as ‘haitch’ clearly marks you as a Catholic apparently.

Alastair Banton ● 279d

Definitely 'aitch', though it's an interesting dichotomy. The French seem to have a similar problem with their 'hache aspiré', giving rise to, for example, Le Havre and le hibou (owl) rather than L'Havre and l'hibou.

Colin Jordan ● 279d

'Ello ... is that Arrods?

Jim Lawes ● 280d

I agree with you Steve.

Brian Coyle ● 280d

Not as posh as 'an hotel' (= 'an-otel') though we all seem to go along with 'an hour'.

Peter Evans ● 280d

Haitch is a lower class pronunciation. Simple as that.

Steve Taylor ● 280d

Haitch is not any of our dictionaries, and we don't say the N Haitch S, but apparently it is a thing in Northern Ireland. When I was a lad in the North of England, that letter did not appear at the begining of any word.

Alan Green ● 280d

But urban foxes usually break cover when it's dark. You wouldn't be too popular if you went around shouting 'view halloo' in the street at night!

Robert Fish ● 280d

Aitch is correct. Except when you are talking about HR, in which case the aitch always takes an H.

David Marshall ● 280d

Surely, it would be "View Halooo".

N V Brooks ● 280d

Yes, if someone in Chiswick shouts at someone else, it would be 'Hoy', as opposed to 'Oy'.

Brian Coyle ● 280d

The use of 'haitch: is certainly not confined to London. From personal knowledge, having grown up in't North, I can say it is often used there (or at least was, when I was a kid, many moons ago). I venture to suggest there may  be a social class/education difference in usage - aitch being more middle class, and therefore more likely to be heard in Chiswick!

Robert Fish ● 280d

Definitely aitch.

Chris Blackwell ● 280d

I think that 'haitch' is very much a London thing, none of my relatives in the Midlands use it.To confuse matters, my elderly West Indian friends when flying home to see relatives in Carriacou and Grenada always fly from Eathrow Hairport much to the amusment of their friend from Domenica who tell them to 'talk proper'. :-)

N V Brooks ● 280d