The H in Heir Was Never Pronounced in English
An heir inherits property or a title. The silent H is a leftover from French spelling.
An heir is a person entitled to inherit property or a title. The H is silent and always has been in English: Latin *heres* lost its H sound in spoken Latin, French wrote *heir* without pronouncing it, and English borrowed spelling and silence together. Only four common English words keep a permanently silent initial H — *heir*, *hour*, *honest* and *honour*. *Herb* is silent in American English but sounded in British, the one word where the two varieties disagree.
- One who inherits. *The rightful heir.*
- Heiress — a female heir. *An heiress.*
- Heirloom — an inherited object. *An heirloom.*
- Inherit — the related verb. *Inherit.*
- Latin — *heres*. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | heir | An heir. |
| Plural | heirs | Heirs. |
| Feminine | heiress | An heiress. |
| Compound | heirloom | An heirloom. |
| Latin | heres | An heir. |
- She is the sole heir.Inheritance.
- The watch is an heirloom.Object.
- The H is always silent.Pronunciation.
Words with a silent initial H
- Heir — silent in all varieties
- Hour — silent in all varieties
- Honest — silent in all varieties
- Honour — silent in all varieties
- Herb — silent in American English, sounded in British
Old French *heir*, from Latin *heres*, an heir, whose H was not pronounced in spoken Latin.
Why is the H in heir silent?
Latin lost the H sound in speech, French kept the letter without sounding it, and English borrowed both spelling and silence.
Which other words have a silent initial H?
Hour, honest and honour in all varieties, and herb in American English only.