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Pedants' corner

"Haitch" on the BBC!

(77 Posts)
phoenix Wed 28-Jun-17 21:47:43

Watching "The Week The Landlords Moved In" on BBC1, and leaving aside the issues on the state of the properties and the attitude of the landlords, I was a bit shock at the person doing the voice over saying "Haitch" when referring to HMO's (houses of multiple occupancy).

Shouldn't people doing commentaries be expected to pronounce words correctly?

BlueBelle Wed 28-Jun-17 22:17:32

Haitch is the modern correct pronunciation I think you ll find the 'aitch' is the older way of pronouncing it You ll find all younger people say 'haitch' just like Porsche became porcha at some point and armonds became al -monds and Nestles (nessels) became nes lez Language and pronunciation is changing all the time

Marydoll Wed 28-Jun-17 22:25:05

The spelling in the dictionary is "aitch", so as a pedant, that is how I will continue to pronounce it. It drives me mad when I hear "haitch".

Marydoll Wed 28-Jun-17 22:36:26

The Oxford dictionary gives the correct pronunciation as"aitch". Where I live in Scotland, you rarely hear "aitch" . I think it is a regional thing.

merlotgran Wed 28-Jun-17 22:57:58

Hell will freeze over before I say haitch.

SueDonim Wed 28-Jun-17 22:59:23

All younger people don't say 'haitch' or not the ones that I know, anyway. I'm in Scotland too. I associate the use of haitch with the Midlands.

durhamjen Wed 28-Jun-17 23:00:40

I always find it strange that people from 'ull say haitch.

phoenix Wed 28-Jun-17 23:01:42

Sorry to disagree BlueBelle, but no way is Haitch the "modern correct pronunciation" !

With you all the way Marydoll grin

merlotgran Wed 28-Jun-17 23:09:09

Are the people who say haitch the same ones who say, 'Anth-ony?'

phoenix Wed 28-Jun-17 23:10:42

Same here, merlot ! (Also applies to other words, such as serviette, invites and settee)

durhamjen Wed 28-Jun-17 23:11:11

My brother in law is called that, merlot, and comes from 'ull. He says haitch.

Marydoll Wed 28-Jun-17 23:18:02

Ha, ha. My son says I only call him AnTHony when he is in trouble. The rest of the time, I call him AnTony.

Jalima1108 Wed 28-Jun-17 23:25:49

I associate the use of haitch with the Midlands.

Nooooo.....
I'm from the Midlands and we were always very particular about pronouncing H as aitch!! As in the aitch-bone.

annodomini Wed 28-Jun-17 23:26:10

Do the people who say An TH ony also say TH eresa?

Marydoll Wed 28-Jun-17 23:28:56

I meant to say, where I live in Scotland, you hardly hear "HAITCH", not "aitch" as I wrote. Dammed tablet!
A few of the children in the school I taught, would say "Haitch". I think they picked it up from TV programmes. They were soon corrected by their teachers.

Marydoll Wed 28-Jun-17 23:31:29

Not me! Teresa for me. grin "THeresa is too hard for me to pronounce. My teeth get in the way. grin

Mapleleaf Wed 12-Jul-17 22:13:27

Yes, in the dictionaries, it is pronounced "aitch", not "haitch". It really irritates me when I hear "haitch"!
Changing topic slightly, it irritates me when people say they are "drawing" letters and numerals. No, they are not - they are writing them!

Coolgran65 Wed 12-Jul-17 22:52:37

In my area the aitch/haitch generally denotes where you/your parents were educated.

In the Catholic maintained schools it is haitch. In the remainder of the schools in the education system it is aitch.

BlueBelle Wed 12-Jul-17 22:58:42

Maybe I was wrong to say it's the modern CORRECT way and should just have said the modern way All the young people I know say Haitch and that goes for private schools or local so don't think it's a class thing well not round here anyway
I ve caught it too although I grew up saying aitch it just feels wrong to drop the huh now

Marydoll Wed 12-Jul-17 23:00:48

I wonder if it is a regional thing.

Rigby46 Wed 12-Jul-17 23:32:58

In my experience it is an age thing - the younger people I come into contact with at work ( late 20s/early30s) nearly all say haitch - this includes young people from different parts of the country and all are highly educated professionals. I hate it grin

phoenix Wed 12-Jul-17 23:41:55

Those who say "Haitch" should be covered in jam and left where the wasps can get them! Alternatively, go through every dictionary in the English language until they understand that Haitch is NOT an acceptable word!

MamaCaz Wed 12-Jul-17 23:50:32

I hear "haitch" more frequently than "aitch", and from by people from all regions and walks of life. It doesn't bother me half as much as "drawring", "lore"(law) and ore (awe)!

Day6 Thu 13-Jul-17 00:54:25

Gosh. Have just tried to say law and awe differently and have to contort my mouth in all sorts of strange ways to make different sounds.

I confess my law and awe sound like lore and ore! It must be a regional thing. I am not apologising either! grin

Now, can someone give me some idea of how they should sound??? I am perplexed!

Elrel Thu 13-Jul-17 01:06:20

Merlot, yes, never Haitch!! Modern? Nah!
I've noticed Mayor, formerly 'mare' is now often pronounced 'mayor' in the meja.
Anyone else always said 'almonds' and quite recently discovered that it's been correctly pronounced 'aumonds' all along?? Is it a Midlands thing?