silent h

English

Noun

silent h (plural silent h's)

  1. (orthography) A letter ⟨h⟩ that is written but not pronounced.
    • 1989 August 26, Richard Vasquez, “Women Are Spicing Up the World of Mariachi Music”, in Los Angeles Times‎[1], Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 1 August 2025:
      The vihuela (silent h) is a small, guitar-like instrument strummed as much for its percussive as its melodic sound.
    • 2019, Carson Stewart, History of the English Language‎[2], page 178:
      Examples include the silent h in ghost (to match Dutch gheest, which later became geest), aghast, ghastly and gherkin.

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