back to variables

H-Dropping

Common throughout England and South Wales; rare in Ireland and Scotland and overseas.
English accents which do NOT have H-Dropping include RP, Estuary English (although Cockney has H-Dropping), and some dialects in the NE of England and in East Anglia

This variable refers to loss of /h/ in stressed syllables:

Herbert is a happy horse becomes "Erbert is an appy orse"

But remember that ALL accents of English are likely to drop /h/ in unstressed function words: he his him her who and the unstressed auxiliary forms of have has had.

No H-Dropping:

  • RP

  • Estuary

  • Scotland

  • Ireland

  • N Wales

  • Overseas

back to Dialects back to Pétur Knútsson's home page

If you have any questions mail me at peturk@hi.is.