The letter H is always silent in Spanish, so when a word begins with this letter, only the sound of the vowel immediately after it is heard. For example, –
When you hear a word, it can be tricky to know if there’s an H in it. In this article, we’ll go over Spanish words with H and we’ll provide you with some guidelines that will help you identify words that usually carry this letter.
First of all, listen to the name of the letter H in Spanish. It is
Spanish Words with H
When it comes to writing Spanish words with H, it’s essential to understand the rules surrounding the usage of this letter. It is silent, however, it is important to note that words derived from other languages might retain the original pronunciation of the H, such as
Now we are ready to give you a few guidelines to help you determine when to write Spanish words with H.
Helico , hecto -, hepta -, hexa -, hemi –
Many Spanish words with H have Greek origin and, that’s why they keep the letter H. For example, words beginning with the prefixes
El helicóptero está en el cielo sobre el río colombiano.
The helicopter is in the sky over the Colombian river.
Un hectogramo equivale a 3,57 onzas y un hectolitro equivale a 26,41 galones.
An hectogram is equivalent to 3.57 ounces and an hectoliter is equivalent to 26.41 gallons.
¿Sabes dibujar un heptágono y un hexágono?
Can you draw an heptagon and an hexagon?
Los políticos se reúnen en el hemiciclo para debatir cuestiones importantes.
Politicians gather at the Chamber to discuss important issues.
Hema -, hemo -, hetero -, homo -, homeo –
Some Spanish words with H have the Greek prefixes
La hemorragia fue controlada por los médicos en el hospital.
The hemorrhage was controlled by the doctors at the hospital.
Mi clase es bastante heterogénea. Hay estudiantes de diferentes culturas.
My class is quite heterogeneous. There are students from different cultures.
La mezcla debe ser homogénea o el resultado no será bueno.
The mix must be homogeneous or the result won’t be good.
Recurren a la homeopatía como una alternativa a la medicina convencional.
They turn to homeopathy as an alternative to conventional medicine.
Hidra -, hidro -, higro -, hiper -, hipo –
More Spanish words with H that come from Greek are the ones beginning with the prefixes
Llegamos a la isla en un hidroavión. Aterrizamos en el agua, fue increíble.
We reached the island by seaplane. It landed in the water, it was amazing.
Las plantas higrófilas absorben grandes cantidades de agua del suelo.
Hygrophilous plants absorb large amounts of water from the soil.
Los carritos están fuera del hipermercado.
The carts are outside of the superstore.
Debido a su larga exposición al frío, los montañistas sufrieron de hipotermia.
On account of their long exposure to the cold, the climbers suffered from hypothermia.
Hidra -, hidro -, higro -, hiper -, hipo –
The last Spanish words with H with Greek prefixes we are going to see are the ones with
Los compuestos de halógeno son comunes en la industria química.
Halogen compounds are common in the chemical industry.
El helioscopio permitió un análisis detallado de las manchas solares.
The helioscope allowed for a detailed analysis of solar spots.
Después de un viaje al extranjero, desarrolló síntomas de hepatitis viral.
After a trip abroad, he developed symptoms of viral hepatitis.
El concierto presentó un espectacular holograma de la artista principal.
The concert featured a spectacular hologram of the main artist.
Hia -, hie -, hue -, hui –
Spanish words with
La palabra ‘hiato’ se refiere a la separación de dos vocales que aparecen juntas, pero pertenecen a sílabas diferentes. Por ejemplo, ‘pa-ís’ o ‘te-a-tro’.
The word ‘hiatus’ refers to the break between two vowels that come together, but belong to different syllables. For example, ‘pa-ís’ or ‘te-a-tro’.
Quería tomarme un café con hielo, pero vi que eran las tres y llegaba tarde.
I wanted to have an iced coffee, but I saw it was three o’clock and I was late.
Lánzale el hueso al perro e irá a recogerlo.
Throw the dog a bone and he’ll go pick it up.
Si él intenta huir, llama a la policía.
If he tries to flee, call the police.
You should always write with H the diphthongs –
Herb -, herm -, hist –
Spanish words beginning with
La ermita de la colina es el lugar favorito de mi hermana.
The hermitage on the hill is my sister’s favorite place.
El istmo de Panamá ha desempeñado un papel crucial en la historia de la navegación.
The Isthmus of Panama has played a crucial role in the history of navigation.
Holg -, horm -, horr -, hosp -, host –
Spanish words beginning with
¿Te gustan estas casas de hormigón? ¡Son horribles! A mí no me gustan.
Do you like these houses made of concrete. They’re terrible! I don’t like them.
Olga está en el hospital porque le han sentado mal las ostras.
Olga is in the hospital because she has had a bad reaction to the oysters.
Hum – followed by a vowel
Write with H Spanish words with
La humanidad recordará siempre a los grandes autores de la literatura.
Humanity will always remember the great authors of literature.
Si el chocolate echa humo, significa que aún está demasiado caliente para beberlo.
If hot chocolate gives off steam, it means it’s still too hot to drink.
Forms of Verbs Starting with H
If the infinitive of a verb starts with H, then all its verb forms are written with H. For example, all the verb forms of the following verbs contain the letter H:
Mis vecinos hablan sobre un tesoro perdido. Durante años, ha habido rumores sobre su ubicación, pero nadie lo ha hallado.
My neighbors talk about a lost treasure. For years, there have been rumors about its location, but no one has found it
Muchos pájaros habitaron en estos árboles e hicieron nidos en primavera para criar a sus crías.
A lot of birds inhabited these trees and made nests in spring to raise their chicks.
Words Whose Root Starts with H
Compounds or derivatives of Spanish words with H are also written with H, except for those derived from
El estudio óseo reveló la antigüedad del hueso descubierto en el yacimiento arqueológico.
The bone’s osteological analysis revealed the age of the bone found at the archaeological site.
Los huérfanos entraron en el orfanato a las cinco de la tarde.
The orphans entered the orphanage at five in the afternoon.
Exercises
There could be a few more rules regarding Spanish words with H. For example, the most popular interjections are also written with H. Now, let’s do some exercises to practice Spanish words with H. Do you feel like doing more vocabulary exercises? You can also review Spanish words containing CH, J, K, Ñ, Q, R, W, X, Y or Z.