3 ms·

> The one I actually find annoying though is when people use "an" before a word that starts with a (pronounced) h, like "an historic building". It's like, dude,

> The one I actually find annoying though is when people use "an" before a word that starts with a (pronounced) h, like "an historic building". It's like, dude, I know you're trying to seem all smart and superior and it isn't working. Do what now? I wonder what accent you have and which ones you’ve regularly heard spoken. For me, using “an” is essentially mandatory, because there is absolutely no “h” sound at the beginning of “historic” at normal speaking speed. It’s just like “it has been an honor” or “it will take an hour.” The idea that it’s being done deliberately to sound superior is hysterical.

gnicholas 4y ago
> I wonder what accent you have and which ones you’ve regularly heard spoken Not parent, but I have the same experience as parent. I am from CA and have lived in PA and DC as well. I also studied linguistics in college and so have a reasonably well-tuned ear for this. It is absolutely not "hysterical" to say that people do this to sound superior. The vast majority of Americans who say "an historic" on a regular basis that I've come across are historians. I have hung out with plenty of other well-educated and pedantic folks (in linguistics, economics, and law), and even they don't do this. YMMV, of course. From where do you hail?
- martyvis 4y ago
  The first time I realised that Americans drop the "h" in herb I thought it was some hoity-toity affectation, but apparently it's the way you say it! (Aussie here and I think Brits and Kiwis keep the H )
  - gnicholas 4y ago
    We are weird about herbs! Ask me how I say "basil"...
atq2119 4y ago
Out of curiosity, does that mean you pronounce "historic" substantially different from "history"? And how about "the historic" as opposed to "a(n) historic"? I'm not a native speaker, but the thought of essentially pronouncing "the 'istory of ..." or "the 'istoric ..." feels a bit comical, but perhaps that's what you do to be consistent?
- tshaddox 4y ago
  With “historic” the stress is on the second syllable. With “history” the stress is on the first syllable.
  - atq2119 4y ago
    True. Interestingly, while I'm pretty sure that I automatically do that correctly, I don't perceive it as a substantial difference. So perhaps part of the explanation is around how speakers of different languages / accents perceive emphasis.
subarctic 4y ago
That's interesting, I don't think I've heard a native English speaker say historic with a silent h. Which part of the world are you from? To be fair, if the h is silent then it actually makes sense.

gnicholas 4y ago

> I wonder what accent you have and which ones you’ve regularly heard spoken Not parent, but I have the same experience as parent. I am from CA and have lived in PA and DC as well. I also studied linguistics in college and so have a reasonably well-tuned ear for this. It is absolutely not "hysterical" to say that people do this to sound superior. The vast majority of Americans who say "an historic" on a regular basis that I've come across are historians. I have hung out with plenty of other well-educated and pedantic folks (in linguistics, economics, and law), and even they don't do this. YMMV, of course. From where do you hail?

martyvis 4y ago
The first time I realised that Americans drop the "h" in herb I thought it was some hoity-toity affectation, but apparently it's the way you say it! (Aussie here and I think Brits and Kiwis keep the H )
- gnicholas 4y ago
  We are weird about herbs! Ask me how I say "basil"...

atq2119 4y ago

Out of curiosity, does that mean you pronounce "historic" substantially different from "history"? And how about "the historic" as opposed to "a(n) historic"? I'm not a native speaker, but the thought of essentially pronouncing "the 'istory of ..." or "the 'istoric ..." feels a bit comical, but perhaps that's what you do to be consistent?

tshaddox 4y ago
With “historic” the stress is on the second syllable. With “history” the stress is on the first syllable.
- atq2119 4y ago
  True. Interestingly, while I'm pretty sure that I automatically do that correctly, I don't perceive it as a substantial difference. So perhaps part of the explanation is around how speakers of different languages / accents perceive emphasis.

subarctic 4y ago

That's interesting, I don't think I've heard a native English speaker say historic with a silent h. Which part of the world are you from? To be fair, if the h is silent then it actually makes sense.