One speech challenge encountered by some English language learners is the tendency to add an “h” sound before words that begin with vowels and to remove the “h” when it appears at the start of a word. This phenomenon is known as “aspirating” and “deaspirating” the “h” sound. For example, a learner may say “happle” instead of “apple,” but then say “ouse” instead of “house.” This difficulty often stems from the influence of the learner’s native language (also known as the mother tongue grip), which may not have the same sound distinctions as English. In certain languages, the “h” sound is not as prominent or does not exist at the beginning of words. Consequently, learners transfer their native language patterns to English pronunciation. By developing awareness and implementing consistent practice, learners can gradually refine their pronunciation and achieve greater accuracy in using the “h” sound in English words. This course will focus on skills that will help participants neutralise the h-factor.
