H-less

The adjective h-less (pronounced aitchless) is in the OED. It means 'not pronouncing the letter H'. Not pronouncing H was always considered a lower-class trait and mocked by snobs and the upper classes, as the OED citation for the word makes clear: "Millionaire cheesemongers who dwell h-less in the feudal castles of the poor" (from an 1893 edition of Temple Bar Magazine).

The people often at the receiving end of such snobbery were Cockneys, since the Cockney dialect is renowned for not pronouncing Hs where they are written (remember Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady having to practise "In Hertford, Hereford and Hampshire hurricanes hardly happen"?). Conversely Cockneys often pronounce an H where it is not written. Here is an old poem called The Letter H's Protest to the Cockneys (from A Whimsey Anthology compiled by Carolyn Wells):

Whereas by you, I have been driven

From 'ouse, from 'ome, from 'ope, from 'eaven,

And placed by your most learned society

in Hexile, Hanguish and Hanxiety,

Nay, charged without one just pretence

With Harrogance and Himpudence, --

I here demand full restitution,

And beg you'll mend your Hellocution.

Comments

[susan moberly]

Harry was a Hamster. Harry lost his hat. Harry's mummy said to Harry: "Harry where's your hat?"
"'anging on the 'anger in the 'all mummy"
"Harry don't be horrible! Harry sound your aitches! Or I'll hit you on the head with a hard, hard hammer and make you all horrible!"

[Jemmy Hope]

What of this pronunciation of the word 'aitch' itself as 'haitch'? Drives me mad, but it seems to be gaining currency.

[Virtual Linguist]

Thank you both for your comments. Sue, I've never heard that nursery tale before, and can't find any reference to it on the web. Was h-dropping a feature of Cardiff speech when you were growing up?

Jemmy, 'haitch' pronunciation is common in Scotland, Ireland and elsewhere, but still not considered standard English. H is a funny letter as it is one of the few letters of the alphabet whose name does not contain its sound. Perhaps that's why the confusion arises.