Story time (connected speech)
One day Sparky the star found a hat. Next to it was a horse and a house. "Wow!" said Sparky. Then Sparky saw a heart and a hippo. What a great day!
H
H sound /h/
A breathy 'hah' sound. In English /h/ begins syllables only — never at the end of a word.
American English pronunciation model · voiceless · throat (glottal) · fricative · spellings: h, wh (who)
This page practises English sounds — the words and sentences stay in English on purpose.
Watch how to make this sound
/h/ · Breathy sound
Articulation visual awaiting professional review — not yet checked by a speech and language therapist.
Voice off · no buzz · Airflow
Keep your mouth open and let breath flow from your throat.
No tongue or lip closure. Mouth shape follows the vowel that comes next.
Movement 1/3: Open mouth
The camera view stays on this device. Nothing is recorded, saved or uploaded.
How to Make the Sound
/h/
Voice switched OFF
Put your hand on your throat — it should stay still and quiet. Only air.
Remember it: Fog up a mirror.
- Tongue
- Relaxed, ready for the next vowel.
- Lips and jaw
- Mouth open.
- Air
- A soft, breathy stream from the throat.
Step by step
- Open your mouth.
- Breathe out warm air — hhh.
- Go straight into a vowel — ha.
Common difficulties and gentle help
- Leaving /h/ off ("at" for "hat"). Use a mirror or a hand in front of the mouth to feel the warm air. Note that many British accents drop /h/ in everyday speech; follow your child's accent.
Step up gradually
- 1. Sound on its own
- 2. Syllables
- 3. Words
- 4. Phrases
- 5. Sentences
- 6. Everyday talk
A sound can be easier on its own than in connected speech. Move on only when your child is saying it accurately and feels ready — not just because a worksheet is finished. Read the Parent Guide
1. Sound in isolation
/h/
Fog up a mirror: hhh.
Hear yourself
This device can't record audio, so listening back isn't available here. Practise with the model sounds instead.
2. Syllables
ha
hee
ho
hoo
hi
aha
eeha
oha
Initial position
hat
/h/ · initial
“my hat”
horse
/h/ · initial
“my horse”
house
/h/ · initial
“my house”
heart
/h/ · initial
“my heart”
hippo
/h/ · initial
“my hippo”
hand
/h/ · initial
“my hand”
honey
/h/ · initial
“my honey”
Medial position
beehive
/h/ · medial
“my beehive”
doghouse
/h/ · medial
“my doghouse”
behind
/h/ · medial
“behind the tree”
Short phrases
- my hat
- my horse
- my house
- my heart
- my hippo
- my hand
- my honey
- my beehive
- my doghouse
- behind the tree
Sentences
- I can see the hat.
- I can see the horse.
- I can see the house.
- I can see the heart.
- I can see the hippo.
- I can see the hand.
- I can see the honey.
- I can see the beehive.
- I can see the doghouse.
- I can see the behind.