Entering this in an "About the Author" entry, I wondered which was correct and found the following fascinating account of the conflict from the New York Times: On Language - 'Homage'.
Sadly, it doesn't give much direction, but at least it reassures us that we're not alone in our confusion. :(
Note: Windows spellcheck takes the chicken way out, suggesting "homage" without any identifier.
I always heard it pronounced with the "h" so I would use "a".
The Oxford Dictionary supports that.
The audible pronunciation it provides has a definite "h" sound, and it provides this example sentence:
He describes his book as 'a homage to my father'.
I always heard it pronounced with the "h" so I would use "a".
The Oxford Dictionary supports that.
I guess those Brits who speak Cockney don't use the Oxford dictionary. Don't they drop the "h" at the beginning of words?
Don't they [Cockneys] drop the "h" at the beginning of words?
I believe so, and a variety of other sounds at the beginnings, middles, and ends of words too.
Wouldn't that be "A' for 'orses? ;)
Nope, you've got it backwards. It's 'A' for 'horses' and 'An' for 'orses'.
Nope, you've got it backwards. It's 'A' for 'horses' and 'An' for 'orses'.
And argh for arses
I always heard it pronounced with the "h" so I would use "a".
I've always heard it with a silent "h", meaning it would be an "an". Apparently pronouncing the "h" is a relatively recent form, though it's become a common usage (equal uses to the original), regardless of nationality.
Or are that just many people who have no clue how to pronounce it correctly?
people who have no clue how to pronounce it correctly
More likely there are two groups who know how to pronounce it correctly and each says the other is wrong.
It reminds me of this joke:
Two guys were arguing over the pronunciation of Hawaii.
One said, "Hawaii."
The other said, "Havaii."
A little old Jewish man happened to walk by so they asked him.
He said, "Havaii."
The man who pronounced it with a "v" said, "Thank you."
The little old Jewish man said, "You're velcome."
"You're velcome."
The development by children of the ability to distinguish different sounds is very interesting.
Up until the age of 3, children's brain establish as many connections as possible.
At the age of 3 there is a massive reorganisation. Connections that have not been reinforced are deleted, and "highways" are established for the most frequently used connections.
It's too late if a child has not learned to notice the difference between some sounds before that reorganisation.
Many young children from Arabic-speaking regions right through to the Indian subcontinent never hear speakers distinguishing between "v" and "w" sounds, and will never be able to hear the difference. For Chinese speakers that applies to "r" and "l" sounds.
It takes a remarkably short time for a young child to detect different sounds and learn to distinguish them, permanently. I've heard that only about 12 hours listening to a speaker use sounds differently is enough to achieve that.
Interesting, watching TV or recorded sounds will not achieve that. It only works with a person present and speaking to the child.
There's several youtube videos of how to pronounce it, and they're different. This one is over a minute worth of many different pronunciations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWKqiOJ-V1k
There's even variety on whether the ending is midge, mage, mitch, mudge.
Two words, spelled the same, pronounced differently, with slightly different meanings.
Homage (a) - The vassel paid homage to his king. ha-mij
Homage (an) - This film paid homage to the works of Orson Welles with a recreation of his work. oh-mazh
Both indicate respect, but it's all context as to which is correct.
Both indicate respect, but it's all context as to which is correct.
What's the difference?
What's the difference?
Sort of like 'toeMAYtoe' vs. 'toeMAHtoe' ... personal brain farts and angels dancing on pinheads. World-shaking decisions and choices. Life is sooo hard!
What's the difference?
Art (and not Linkletter). The first is you are effectively paying fealty to the king. The second is you have made a tribute to someone in your movie.
Two words, spelled the same, pronounced differently, with slightly different meanings.
Homage (a) - The vassel paid homage to his king. ha-mij
Homage (an) - This film paid homage to the works of Orson Welles with a recreation of his work. oh-mazh
Both indicate respect, but it's all context as to which is correct.
Sorry, but the entire discussion about using "homage" in the included source centers around your 2nd definition, something which alludes to a previous work by someone else. 49% of people pronounce it with an "h", while the rest omit the "h".
Sadly, it doesn't give much direction, but at least it reassures us that we're not alone in our confusion. :(
I think I'll settle for suggesting someone write an homage to those who bothered to write a homage previously.
I think I'll settle for suggesting someone write an homage to those who bothered to write a homage previously.
Frankly, it's easier saying the story (or painting, film or 'bad act') as in homage to another.
While it's easier, that now sounds wrong.
The story is in homage to another.
The story is an homage to another.
What do you call your mothers sister? Ant, or ahnt ...
What do you call your mothers sister? Ant, or ahnt ...
The non-existent "h" is usually silent. 'D
What do you call your mothers sister? Ant, or ahnt ...
In my little patch of the UK, "aunt" and "aren't" are homophones.
AJ
In my little patch of the UK, "aunt" and "aren't" are homophones.
If aunts aren't haunts (silent non-existent "h"), then why do the kids always run run when they approach, trying to kiss them?
haunts (silent non-existent "h")
We aspirate the 'h' in the UK. It would seem many Americans do too, viz 'A Haunting' (TV Series).
AJ
We aspirate the 'h' in the UK. It would seem many Americans do too, viz 'A Haunting' (TV Series).
Everyone does, the "silent non-existent 'h'" was in reference to my previous teasing comment concerning "homage".
If you don't keep up, you can't follow all the latest pun-ie jokes (Note: that's "punie", not "funny"!) 'D
Watch it, you're heading for a Xanth attack! That's truly pun-ishing...
He plans to overrun them all with the power of Xor and Xand.
We aspirate the 'h' in the UK. It would seem many Americans do too, viz 'A Haunting' (TV Series).
I'm trying to think of a word starting with h where we don't pronounce the h. My immediate thought was 'hotel' but even there the h is pronounced (local dialects excluded, but who can understand Glaswegian in any case?)
H is always silent in Spanish, so someone speaking English with a heavy Spanish accent would likely drop the H.
Honour and hors d'oeuvre seem to be aspirated very lightly, if at all.
And as we all know if the pronunciation begins with a constanent sound us a; if it is a vowel sound use an.
A honour/honor sounds weird to me and it is what I usually see in written passages, so it would seem that the h, is not noticeable to most of us when we say the word.
Honour and hors d'oeuvre seem to be aspirated very lightly, if at all.
Only if you pronounce it "Whore d'or" while whispering so you won't offend anyone. 'D
In words imported from either Spanish or French, you generally don't pronounce the "h" in many words.
I'm trying to think of a word starting with h where we don't pronounce the h.
while an imported phrase like maitre d'otel do?
I'm trying to think of a word starting with h where we don't pronounce the h
Hand, how, hoax, handsome, help, hobble, hoarse, and many more. Check a dictionary.
Hand, how, hoax, handsome, help, hobble, hoarse, and many more. Check a dictionary.
What makes you think that the "H" is not pronounced in any of those?
I hear the H when I say the words. The dictionary pronunciations indicate the words are said with an H sound.
I hear the H when I say the words. The dictionary pronunciations indicate the words are said with an H sound.
The question was looking for words that start with an H for spelling, but the H is silent, not pronounced. Your list was the opposite of what was being asked for.
You are right I misread the post.
That's not uncommon. It's something many of us are occasionally guilty of. I only noticed your mistake after I'd already commented about French and Spanish not always pronouncing "h" sounds.
The question was looking for words that start with [a [silent 'H']
The ones I can find include these and their derivatives:
heir, honest, honour, hour
There are some expressions taken from French beginning with 'hors', 'haute'
I've also found several sources which suggest the 'H' in 'herb' is pronounced in BrE, but silent in AmE.
Do Americans do that? It sounds bizarre to me, but I'll happily accept that is so if Americans here confirm they do not pronounce the 'h' in 'herb'.
I've also found several sources which suggest the 'H' in 'herb' is pronounced in BrE, but silent in AmE.
Do Americans do that?
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herb
หษrb, US also and British usually หhษrb
Per the pronunciation guide from Merriam-Webster and my personal experience, both pronunciations are used in AmE.
Speculation: the silent H version is a result of Spanish / French influences in AmE.
The ones I can find include these and their derivatives:
heir, honest, honour, hour
Merriam-Webster shows both silent H and non silent H pronunciations for honest and honour(US spelling is honor).
Merriam-Webster shows both silent H and non silent H pronunciations for honest and honour(US spelling is honor).
Are honor killings still honorable if you pronounce the "h", or was that the reason for the killings in the first place?
Sorry, terrible joke I know, but I couldn't resist.
The girl said I offer my honor. The guy said I honor your offer. And so it went, on her, off her, on her...
I've also found several sources which suggest the 'H' in 'herb' is pronounced in BrE, but silent in AmE.
Do Americans do that?
In my experience of US TV shows, 'erb' is ubiquitous in America.
I've never met a Brit who didn't aspirate the 'h'.
AJ
In my experience of US TV shows, 'erb' is ubiquitous in America.
I've never met a Brit who didn't aspirate the 'h'.
Thanks, AJ. I expected that to be the case.
I recall hearing 'erb' once on an Australian TV show and thinking, "What a pretentious effin' prat" the culprit was. :-)
Just a thought, but what about the man's name? I would expect the 'H' in Herb Alpert's name to be aspirated.
AJ
Just a thought, but what about the man's name? I would expect the 'H' in Herb Alpert's name to be aspirated.
I have heard 'erb' (sound) as an abbreviation / nickname but I don't know the person's actual name. As someone wrote it UK we always use the h in herb but if we refer to someone as a 'right herbert' it is a stronger insult if we leave out the (usual) h sound
Just a thought, but what about the man's name? I would expect the 'H' in Herb Alpert's name to be aspirated.
It is. I've been a long-time fan of his.
Do Americans do that? It sounds bizarre to me, but I'll happily accept that is so if Americans here confirm they do not pronounce the 'h' in 'herb'.
No, we don't, however it comes up as a continual joke in commercials and late-night monologues all the time, so clearly a lot of people still have trouble with pronouncing it (i.e. they know they're not supposed to say the "h", but often do anyway).
Hand, how, hoax, handsome, help, hobble, hoarse, and many more. Check a dictionary.
And in "whore" and "whole" you do pronounce the "h" while not the "w". Go figure! That's why God invented speaking online dictionaries, so we don't have to guess when reading! 'D
Check a dictionary.
The Oxford dictionary has a specific note for 'honour':
Use an, not a, before honour.
It gives an example of "an honest man".
I think I'll settle for suggesting someone write an homage to those who bothered to write a homage previously.
What sort of message does that send! It will still leave people to forage for the answer.
AJ
It will still leave people to forage for the answer.
Perhaps it is better to forage rather than to forum rage?
What sort of message does that send! It will still leave people to forage for the answer.
Is my foraging for an answer an homage, or is my homage part of my foraging?
My house was built in 1905. It had a home age of 112 years.
You could also say it has a from age of 112 years, but that would be a bit cheesy.
AJ
You could also say it has a from age of 112 years, but that would be a bit cheesy.
That fromage is a little dated!
My house was built in 1905. It had a home age of 112 years.
How old is Yoga's "Ohm" chant (i.e. is it a Ohmage or an Ohmage)?
Just kidding, the h is silent.
As my father always said, "The only good 'h' is a silent 'h'."
As my father always said, "The only good 'h' is a silent 'h'."
What a Philistine!
"In Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen." ;)
AJ
"In Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen."
My brain wants to read that with a "[h]ever happen".
"In Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen."
Which is very funny, because my brain wants to read that as: 'ertford, 'ereford, and 'ampshire, 'urricanes 'ardly ever 'appen. Kinda makes my brain 'appy, 'ealthy and good-'umored.
