H

the eighth letter of the English alphabet, is commonly classed among the consonants, but perhaps without sufficient reason, as it is pronounced with the mouth-organs in the same position as that of the succeeding vowel. See Principles of Pronunciation, § 76. H is used with certain consonants to form digraphs representing sounds which are not found in the alphabet, as sh, th, th, as in shall, thing, thine; also, to modify the sounds of some other letters, as when placed after c and p, with the former of which it represents a compound sound like that of tsh, as in charm, change, with the latter the sound of f, as in phase, phantom. In some words, mostly derived or introduced from foreign languages, h following c and g indicates that those consonants have the hard sound before e, i, and y, as in chemistry, chiromancy, chyle, Ghent, Ghibeline, &c.; in some others, ch has the sound of sh, as in chicane. In the Anglo-Saxon, and other Teutonic dialects, h sometimes represents the Lat. c, and the Gr. κ; as in horn, Goth. haúrn, Lat. cornu, Gr. κέρας; hide, A-S. hyde, hūd, D. huid, Dan. & Sw. hud, O. H. Ger. hāt, N. H. Ger. haut, Lat. cutis; A-S. hlinian, Goth. hleinan, Lat. clinare, Gr. κλίνειν, Eng. lean, Ger. lehnen; A-S. helan, to conceal, O. Eng. hele, hill, Ger. hehlen, Lat. celare.—(Mus.) H is the seventh degree in the diatonic scale, being used by the Germans for B natural.