Herb Is Said Two Ways Across the Atlantic
A herb is a plant used for flavour or medicine. Britain sounds the H and America does not.
A herb is a plant valued for flavour, scent or medicine. The pronunciation split is a genuine historical curiosity: English borrowed the word from French without the H sound, and everyone said *erb* for centuries. British speakers began sounding the H in the nineteenth century under the influence of the spelling; American English simply kept the older pronunciation. In botany a *herb* is any plant without a woody stem, which includes many that no cook would recognise.
- A flavouring plant. *Fresh herbs.*
- A medicinal plant. *Herbal remedy.*
- A non-woody plant. *A herbaceous border.*
- Herbivore — a plant eater. *A herbivore.*
- Latin — *herba*, grass. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | herb | A herb. |
| Plural | herbs | Herbs. |
| Adjective | herbal | Herbal. |
| Adjective | herbaceous | Herbaceous. |
| Latin | herba | Grass. |
- Add fresh herbs at the end.Cooking.
- A herbaceous border.Gardening.
- Americans say erb.Pronunciation.
Herbs and spices
- Herbs come from the leaves of a plant
- Spices come from seeds, bark, roots or fruit
- Coriander gives both: leaf as herb, seed as spice
- Herbs are often used fresh, spices almost always dried
- The distinction is culinary, not botanical
Old French *erbe*, from Latin *herba*, grass or green plant. The H was restored to the spelling in the 1400s.
Is it erb or herb?
Both are correct in their own varieties. American English keeps the older H-less pronunciation; British English restored the sound in the nineteenth century.
What is the difference between a herb and a spice?
Herbs are leaves. Spices come from seeds, bark, roots or fruit. Coriander provides both.