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Discussion » Questions » Language » Why don't Americans pronounce the aspirate in the world "herbs"?
Slartibartfast

Why don't Americans pronounce the aspirate in the world "herbs"?

Everywhere else in the English-speaking world, it's h+erbs, but in America it's just erbs.

Posted - January 19
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Responses


  • 11250
     Americans use the French pronunciation. We're fancy like that.
      January 19, 2025 10:16 AM MST
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  • 34642
    Because that is how the British taught us to say it.  They were taught by the French. 

    Later, some British thought not pronouncing then H made them sound poor and uneducated.  So they started saying H+erb. 

    US did not do that.  Just as we also did not change the name of soccer to football.  (It was called soccer when it was introduced to us) 

      January 19, 2025 2:08 PM MST
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  • 159
    I'm English, and wouldn't pronounce the 'h' either. Might be a northern thing. 
      January 19, 2025 3:40 PM MST
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  • 11250
    Also true of how we use our knife and fork. Americans didn't change, the British did.
      January 19, 2025 4:41 PM MST
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  • 16909
    It's a contraction of "Association Football". Ergo, football played by the rules codified by the British FA.
      January 19, 2025 5:00 PM MST
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