106 Go to No H Worksheet Go to H in Function WordsWorksheet /h/ “how” Watch Video Lesson Experiment
1. Say the /ɑː/ vowel, like in the word bar /bɑː/. 2. Put your hand on your larynx (voice box) and notice that you can feel vibrations. This is because the /ɑː/ vowel is voiced.
3. Now whisper the /ɑː/ vowel. Notice you can no longer feel vibrations → the sound is voiceless. It sounds like you are simply breathing out air. 4. This is the /h/ sound.
The /h/ sound is essentially a voiceless version of the following vowel. Check that you are breathing out softly (this sound should not require much effort).
Practise the following with the audio. Put your hand on your larynx to check that there are fewer vibrations during the /h/ sound.
Sound + Vowel /hɑː
- /ɑːhɑː -
hԑː ԑːhԑː
- -
hiː iːhiː
- -
hɔː ɔːhɔː
- -
huː/ uːhuː/
Tongue Position
As /h/ is a voiceless version of the following vowel, then your tongue will be in the position for the vowel.
The back of your tongue should not be very close to your soft palate. If it is you will hear and feel friction.
Listen Your tongue should not be doing this →
If it is, then focus on relaxing the back of the tongue down, or yawning slightly.
