Hotel or 'otel?

[RegMolehusband]

I like to think my grammar and pronounciation is relatively good but I've never understood (and not a word of it was mentioned in my school days) why some insist that the "h" is silent in hotel.

Do you say 'otel or hhhhotel?

Why is it silent in hotel? Should I be dropping the h in other words? 'elicopter for example?

Could somebody with a better education than mine please enlighten me?

[Pints]

Off the top of my head I can't think of a word where you would drop the H.

I stand to be corrected.

Dictionary

Edited by Pints on Friday 10th July 12:28

[Justin_Tvr]

Maybe they think they think they have an air of class about them by trying to pronounce words with a french twist, they love dropping the H

[Negative Creep]

If you were born in London or the surrounding areas, every H is a silent H

[maxrider]

RegMolehusband said:

Why is it silent in hotel?

It isn't
HTH

[WorAl]

they argue that it is after it follows certain words, ie, it should be an hotel apparently and the h should be dropped, but, "should i book an hotel?" (h dropped) doesnt sound right at all, its "should i book a hotel?" and keep the h.

Edited by WorAl on Friday 10th July 12:32

[WorAl]

maxrider said:

RegMolehusband said:

Why is it silent in hotel?

It isn't
HTH

is that - 'appy to 'elp?

Edited by WorAl on Friday 10th July 12:32

[FPC]

Dropping the 'h' in hotel is only acceptable if you are French.

[Los Palmas 7]

As far as I see it, it's "An 'otel" but "The hotel"

Although this confuses me, as I always though only words that start with a vowel were preceded by 'an'.

[Leccy]

Pints said:

Off the top of my head I can't think of a word where you would drop the H.

I stand to be corrected.

Dictionary

Edited by Pints on Friday 10th July 12:28

You sound like an honourable person. Are you honestly telling us you can't think of any words where the H is dropped?

I'll give you an hour or so to see if you can find any.

Edited by Leccy on Friday 10th July 12:37

[sleep envy]

holiday inn

say whaaaaaat?

[Eddie the Ead]

its the same people who say Haych to pronounce H.

[RegMolehusband]

So is it haych or aitch then? It's haych for me.

[lazyitus]

You say 'Aitch' when pronouncing the letter H.

[Marf]

Hotel.

dropping the first letter of a word is one of my bugbears.

Theres a guy in my office who does it to almost every conceiveable word and it pisses me off no end.

e ounds ike a omplete wat.

[Morningside]

Pints said:

Off the top of my head I can't think of a word where you would drop the H.

I stand to be corrected.

Dictionary

What like, silent P as in bath?

[Dogwatch]

A for 'orses?

[pedantlewis]

Hotel is a word which English has borrowed from French. In French the H wouldn't be pronounced, but most people do when speaking English.

To me, 'otel' sounds dated, I don't know anyone first hand who says it that way.

[Los Palmas 7]

Morningside said:

What like, silent P as in bath?

You can have a silent P in the bath.

It's a bit noisier in the shower though.

[Menguin]

erbs