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The aspirated 'h': words that block elision and liaison

In French, the letter H is never actually pronounced. Whether you are saying a word like homme or haricot, the first sound you hear is always a vowel. This can make spelling and pronunciation tricky for English speakers.

To complicate things further, French divides its H words into two invisible categories: the mute H and the aspirated H. An aspirated H is a silent letter that behaves exactly like a solid consonant. It creates an invisible wall at the start of the word. Classic examples include le hasard and la hache. You simply cannot link the previous word to them.

Word list
hamburgermA2 hamburger le hamburger haricotmA2 bean le haricot hobbymA2 hobby le hobby hainefB1 hatred la haine handballmB1 handball le handball harcèlementmB1 bullying le harcèlement haut-parleurmB1 speaker le haut-parleur hauteurfB1 height la hauteur hérosmB1 hero le héros hockeymB1 ice hockey le hockey hockey sur glacemB1 ice hockey le hockey sur glace hors-d'œuvremB1 starter le hors-d'œuvre hachefB2 axe la hache haiefB2 hedge la haie hamstermB2 hamster le hamster hanchefB2 hip la hanche handicapmB2 disability le handicap hausse d'impôtsfB2 tax hike la hausse d'impôts hiboumB2 owl le hibou homardmB2 lobster le homard HongriefB2 Hungary la Hongrie hontefB2 shame la honte hoquetmB2 hiccup le hoquet hurlementmB2 scream le hurlement harengmC1 herring le hareng heaumemC1 helmet le heaume hérissonmC1 hedgehog le hérisson hiérarchiefC1 hierarchy la hiérarchie, not l'hiérarchie; les | hiérarchies (no liaison) houefC1 hoe la houe houillefC1 coal la houille hallebardefC2 halberd la hallebarde hamacmC2 hammock le hamac harpefC2 harp la harpe haut-de-formemC2 top hat le haut-de-forme héronmC2 heron le héron
How it works

Normally, when a French noun starts with a vowel or a mute H, you drop the vowel in le or la. This is called elision. You also connect the S in les to the word, creating a Z sound. This is called liaison. For example, you say l'homme and les hommes.

When a word starts with an aspirated H, this invisible consonant blocks both elision and liaison. You must use the full le or la, and you must not make a Z sound when using plural articles.

C'est le héros de l'histoire.
(He is the hero of the story.)
J'aime manger des haricots verts.
(I like eating green beans.)
Animals and everyday objects

Many words with an aspirated H refer to common animals, food, or objects. Some of these come from Germanic languages where the H used to be pronounced. You will see this pattern with animals like hibou, hérisson, and homard.

Le hibou chasse pendant la nuit.
(The owl hunts during the night.)
Il a trouvé un hérisson dans le jardin.
(He found a hedgehog in the garden.)
Nous avons commandé le homard au restaurant.
(We ordered the lobster at the restaurant.)

The aspirated H is also very common in modern words borrowed from English. Words like hamburger, hockey, and hobby all follow this rule, meaning you must keep the articles separated.

Mon frère adore jouer au hockey sur glace.
(My brother loves playing ice hockey.)
Je vais prendre le hamburger avec des frites.
(I will have the hamburger with fries.)
Feelings and concepts

The aspirated H is not just for physical objects. Several abstract concepts and emotions also start with this invisible consonant. Words like honte, haine, and hauteur are important to learn and follow the exact same blocking rules.

Elle a ressenti de la honte après son erreur.
(She felt shame after her mistake.)
La hauteur de cette tour est impressionnante.
(The height of this tower is impressive.)
Il faut surmonter la haine pour avancer.
(One must overcome hatred to move forward.)
Summary

The easiest way to spot an aspirated H is to check a dictionary, which will often mark it with an asterisk. Until you memorize them, the rule of thumb is simple: treat the aspirated H like a solid consonant. Keep your le and la intact, and never let a plural S slide across to make a Z sound.