The letter is silent at the beginning of the following words:
heir honest honour hour
and of course derivatives of these like
heiress honestly honourable hourly
Some, but not all, words beginning <exh> have silent <h> too. Here are some examples:
exhaust = ɪɡˈzɔːst
exhibit = ɪɡˈzɪbɪt
exhilarating = ɪɡˈzɪləreɪtɪŋ
There are a few other words where <h> is usually silent: annihilate = əˈnaɪəleɪt and vehement = ˈviːəmənt and vehicle = ˈviːɪkl or ˈviːəkl.
Of course, <h> is always silent at the end of a word following a vowel. Examples:
ah eh oh rajah Shah
2013_07_24
Updated: 2013_10_12