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  • In this American English pronunciation video,

  • we're going to learn how to make the H consonant sound.

  • This sound is simply made hh--

  • by passing air through a very slightly constricted passage.

  • Either between the tongue and the roof of the mouth,

  • or in the throat. Hh--

  • This is an unvoiced consonant.

  • Part the lips and press the tongue down in the back just a little.

  • If you don't constrict the air passage at all,

  • there is no sound.

  • If you lift the back of your tongue and constrict too much,

  • you'll feel the vibration of the soft palate bouncing on the tongue.

  • This is too heavy. Hh--

  • The lips and jaw don't affect the sound.

  • So your mouth can be in position for the next sound when you're making the H.

  • For example, the word 'how'.

  • How.

  • The lips, jaw, and tongue, take the beginning position of the OW as in Now diphthong.

  • Hh-- How.

  • Let's look up close and in slow motion.

  • The sound by itself.

  • The jaw is relaxed and the lips part.

  • The word 'hi'.

  • There's nothing to see at the beginning of this word.

  • The H sound happens without changing what the lips do

  • for the AI as in Buy diphthong.

  • The word 'who'.

  • Again, there is nothing to see at the beginning of this word.

  • The H sound happens without changing what the lips do

  • for the next sound, the OO as in Boo vowel.

  • This sound is most common at the beginning of a word

  • and never occurs at the end of a word in American English

  • but the letter H does.

  • The H sound:

  • Hi

  • Who

  • Example words. Repeat with me.

  • Hope. Hh-- Hope.

  • History. Hh-- History.

  • Ahead. Hh-- Ahead.

  • Behind. Hh-- Behind.

  • Hear. Hh-- Hear.

  • Somehow. Hh-- Somehow.

  • I hope this video helps you understand this sound.

  • That's it and thanks so much for using Rachel's English.

In this American English pronunciation video,

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