The Letter H
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Basics on the topic The Letter H
Introduction to the Letter H
Welcome to the wonderful world of the letter H! As we explore the English alphabet, the letter H/h stands out with its distinct shape and sound. It may be a bit quieter in pronunciation than some other letters, but it plays a pivotal role in many words we use every day. From "history" to "helicopter," learning about the letter h is an exciting step in literacy.
Understanding the Letter H – Definition and Sounds
The letter h is the eighth letter in the English alphabet and is associated with the /h/ sound, as heard at the beginning of words like "hat" and "house."
Pronouncing the letter h involves a gentle, breathy quality, as if you are exhaling slightly. This sound is sometimes referred to as an unvoiced sound because it is produced without vocal cord vibration. It's essential for learners to grasp the role of h in language, as it can affect the pronunciation and meaning of words.
Writing the Letter H – How to?
Writing the letter h is simple and fun whether you're working with capital H or lower case h. The capital H is formed with two vertical lines connected by a horizontal line in the middle. The lower case h has a similar structure but starts with a tall, ascending line and is finished with a curved line on the right side that loops around to the bottom. Follow the steps below to write a pre-cursive letter h.
| Step | Instruction | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start on the black line |  |
| 2 | Whoosh all the way to the top. |  |
| 3 | Come back down making a straight line. |  |
| 4 | Go half way back up this straight line and curve over the top. |  |
| 5 | Come straight down and finish with a small flick. |  |
The Letter H – Example Words
Now let's see the letter h in action. We can find the letter H at the beginning of words: "Hannah helps her brother Hector." Here, the letter H begins both the name Hannah and Hector, and the word helps, showcasing its /h/ sound.
The letter h can also appear in the middle or end of words, such as in "behind" or "oh". Additionally, the letter h likes being in words with silent letters, particularly when it follows the letter g, as in "ghost" or "ghastly." Finally, the letter h is a common letter in digraphs such as /ch/, /sh/ and /th/.
Words with the Letter H
The letter h is versatile, appearing in a variety of words. Here's a table displaying words that begin with, contain, or end with the letter h:
| Begin With | Contain | End With |
|---|---|---|
| house | behind | oh |
| horse | which | although |
| happy | whale | truth |
| hill | ghost | high |
The Letter H – Summary
Key Learnings from this Text:
- The letter h is the eighth letter of the English alphabet.
- It represents the /h/ sound, which is unvoiced and aspirated.
- The letter h can be silent in some words, particularly when paired with other consonants like g.
- Recognising both capital "H" and lower case /h/ is crucial for developing reading and writing skills.
Continue practising the letter h with interactive games, engaging worksheets and hands-on activities. Before long, you'll be spotting and writing the letter h with ease!
The Letter H – Frequently Asked Questions
Transcript The Letter H
Let’s join Dee and Kala in the phonics garden and learn all about /h/. This is the letter H, it makes the sound /h/. This is a capital /H/ and this is a lower case /h/. They both make the /h/ sound like in happy, hand and hop! Let's practise the /h/ sound with Kala! "/h/, /h/!" Can you spy anything in the garden that begins with /h/? "There are hearts, that starts with /h/!" Is there anything else in the garden that starts with /h/? "There's a hen that also begins with /h/!" Uh-oh! /h/ is hiding with the other letters! Can you help find /h/ in the alphabet? Point to the letter when you find it! Did you also point here? You did some great work in the phonics garden! Today we learnt all about /h/, we listened to and made the /h/ sound, we found words that begin with /h/ and found it in the alphabet! Interested in a challenge? Watch this video again and try to find the horse and hedgehog hidden in the garden! Comment below when and where you find them! If you want to learn more, check out the next sound!
The Letter H exercise
-
Which one is the correct letter?
HintsListen carefully to the sound, play it again and think about what you can hear.
This animal is a _____.
Look again at the picture above. What sound does this word start with?
SolutionThe correct letter is h. This makes the /h/ sound.
-
What sound does the letter make?
HintsThe word hen starts with the sound.
Listen to all four sounds again. Which one is the same as the beginning of the word happy?
SolutionThe correct sound is /h/.
-
Find the objects that begin with "h".
HintsThere are 5 items that start with /h/ to highlight.
Listen to this word. Can you find it in the picture?
Listen carefully to the names of the objects.
SolutionThe five items that begin with h are:
- hook
- hot dog
- honey
- hamster
- hole
-
What is the word?
HintsListen carefully. All of the words start with /h/ but what other sounds can you hear?
Listen to the word, it ends with a /t/.
Here we can see the words with pictures. Use this to help you find the matching pairs above.
SolutionThe words are:
- him
- hut
- hill
- hum
-
Help Kala find the objects that begin with "h".
HintsListen to the sound. Which words begin with this sound?
Say all of the items out loud. In which ones do you hear the /h/ sound at the beginning?
There are two correct choices.
SolutionHat and ham start with /h/.
-
Can you put the words in the correct group?
HintsListen carefully to this word. Do you hear h at the beginning?
Think carefully about the first sound that you hear, is it h or a different sound?
There are 3 words that begin with h and 3 words that don't.
SolutionHouse, hospital and hammock start with h.
Car, chair and mouse do not.
Rhyming Words
The Letter S
The Letter A
The Letter T
The Letter P
The Letter I
The Letter N
The Letter M
The Letter D
The Letter G
The Letter O
The Letter K
The Letter H
The Letter E
The Letter R
The Letter U
The Letter L
The Letter B
The Letter F
The Letter J
The Letter Q(u)
The Letter W
The Letter V
The Letter X
The Letter Y
The Letter Z
Consonant Letter Sounds
Matching Letters to Consonant & Vowel Sounds— Let's Practise!
CVC Words: The Initial Consonant
CVC Words: The Middle Vowel
CVC Sounds: The Final Consonant
CVC Words
Long and short Vowel sounds
Words, Syllables & Sounds
Consonant Blends
Onsets & Rimes
Decoding: Look at the Picture
Decoding: Stretch out the Word
Counting & Segmenting Syllables
Final 'E' and Split Digraphs
Adjacent Consonants _r
Adjacent Consonants s_
Adjacent Consonants _t
Adjacent Consonants l
The Soft C
The Soft G
Alternative Pronunciation y (I)
