H facts for kids
Quick facts for kids H |
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|---|---|
| H h | |
| Usage | |
| Writing system | Latin script |
| Type | Alphabetic |
| Language of origin | Latin language |
| Phonetic usage | [] [] [] [∅] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] |
| Unicode value | U+0048, U+0068 |
| Alphabetical position | 8 |
| History | |
| Development | |
| Time period | ~-700 to present |
| Descendants | Ħ Ƕ Ⱶ Ꟶ Һ ʰ h ħ  |
| Sisters | И Һ Ԧ ח ح ܚ ࠇ 𐎅 𐎈 Հ հ |
| Other | |
| Other letters commonly used with | h(x), ch, gh, nh, ph, sh, ſh, th, wh, (x)h |
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| ISO basic Latin alphabet |
|---|
| AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIiJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz |
H, or h, is the eighth letter in the Latin alphabet. It is used in the English alphabet and many other alphabets around the world. In English, we usually call it "aitch." Sometimes, people in certain areas say "haitch."
Contents
Journey of the Letter H
From Ancient Symbols to Modern H
The letter H has a long and interesting history. It started as a symbol in ancient Semitic languages. The original letter, called Heth, probably looked like a fence or posts. It made a sound like a strong "h" from the back of your throat.
| Egyptian hieroglyph fence |
Proto-Sinaitic ḥaṣr |
Phoenician Heth |
Greek Heta |
Etruscan H |
Latin H |
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H in Greek and Latin
When the Greek alphabet was created, they borrowed the Semitic letter. They called it Eta. At first, Eta also made an "h" sound. But over time, in some Greek dialects, it changed to a long "e" sound.
However, when the Old Italic alphabets (which led to Latin) borrowed the letter, they kept its original "h" sound. So, in Etruscan and Latin, the letter H continued to represent the "h" sound.
H in Other Languages
Over time, many Romance languages (like French, Spanish, and Italian) that came from Latin lost the "h" sound. For example, in French, the "h" in words like "heure" (hour) is silent.
However, H is still very important in many languages. It often combines with other letters to make new sounds. These combinations are called digraphs (two letters) or trigraphs (three letters).
For example:
- "ch" can make different sounds. In Spanish, it sounds like the "ch" in "chair." In French, it sounds like "sh" in "shoe."
- "sh" in English sounds like the "sh" in "ship."
- "th" in English can sound like the "th" in "think" or "this."
How We Say "H" in English
The "Aitch" vs. "Haitch" Debate
Most English speakers pronounce the letter H as "aitch." This is the standard way to say it in England and many other places. However, some people, especially in certain regions like Ireland, say "haitch." This pronunciation is becoming more common among younger speakers in England too.
The way we say the letter H can affect how we use words like "a" or "an." For example, some people say "an H-bomb" because "aitch" starts with a vowel sound. Others say "a H-bomb" because they might think of the "h" sound itself.
Why the Different Pronunciations?
Experts aren't entirely sure why there are two ways to say H. One idea is that "haitch" might have developed because most other letter names (like "bee," "dee," "eff") include the sound they represent. So, people might have added an "h" sound to "aitch" to make it more like other letter names.
Historically, the name "aitch" came from Latin, passed through Old French, and changed over time.
Family of H: Related Characters
H with Special Marks
The letter H can have special marks, called diacritics, added to it. These marks change its sound or meaning in different languages. For example:
- Ħ ħ: Used in the Maltese language.
- Ĥ ĥ: Used in Esperanto.
H in Other Alphabets
The letter H has many relatives in other alphabets around the world:
- The Phoenician letter Heth (𐤇) is the ancestor of H.
- The Greek letter Eta (Η η) came from Heth.
- The Cyrillic letter Shha (Һ һ) is related to Latin H.
- The Armenian letter ho (Հ) is also a relative.
H in Science and Math
The letter H is also used as a symbol in science and math:
- h: Represents the Planck constant in physics, which is a very important number in quantum mechanics.
- ℏ: Represents the reduced Planck constant.
- : Used in math to represent quaternions, which are special kinds of numbers.
H in Computers and Codes
Computers understand letters using special codes.
- In ASCII (a common computer code), the capital H is represented by the number 72, and the small h is 104.
Other Ways to Show H
The letter H can be shown in many ways beyond just writing it:
- In the NATO phonetic alphabet, H is "Hotel." This is used in radio communication to make sure letters are understood clearly.
- In Morse code, H is represented by four short sounds or flashes: ····
- In Braille, which is a system of raised dots for blind people, H is represented by a specific pattern of dots: ⠓
- In fingerspelling, there's a specific hand shape for H.
See also
In Spanish: H para niños
