Sound Right

Silent H when ⟨h⟩ is not pronounced

⟨wh⟩ — silent H after W

In most ⟨wh⟩ words, the H is silent and only the W is pronounced.

Two ways to see this: You can think of ⟨wh⟩ as a silent ⟨h⟩ after ⟨w⟩, or as a common spelling of /w/ — see the W sound page. Both are valid.

Question words

what whatever whatsoever when whenever where whereas whereby wherein whereupon wherever whether which whichever why

Common everyday words

whack whale wharf wheat wheel wheelchair while whim whine whip whirl whiskey whisky whisper whistle white

Location and time compounds

anywhere elsewhere everywhere meanwhile nowhere somewhat somewhere whereabouts wherefore worthwhile

Sensory / expressive / onomatopoeic

wham wheeze wheezing whew whey whiff whimper whimsical whimsy whining whiny whiplash whirlpool whirlwind whirring whisk whisker whit whiz whoo whoop whoopee whoosh whopper whopping whorl

White- and whit- compounds

whitefish whitewash whitey whitish whittle

Archaic and literary

awhile erstwhile whammy whatnot whence whig whilst whither

Other compounds

buckwheat flywheel nonwhite overwhelm whaler whaling wheelbarrow whistler whistling

Proper nouns

wharton wheatley wheaties whitehall whitehead whitfield whitley whitman whitney whittier whyte

⟨rh⟩ — silent H after R

Mostly in words of Greek origin.

Common words

rhapsody rhetoric rhetorical rheumatism rhino rhinoceros rhubarb rhyme rhythm rhythmic

Medical

arrhythmia cirrhosis diarrhea diarrhoea gonorrhea hemorrhage hemorrhagic hemorrhaging rheumatic rheumatoid rheumatology rhinoplasty

Scientific and technical

rheology rhetorician rhizome rhododendron rhodopsin rhodium rhyming rhythmically

Greek letters, gods, and places

rhea rhein rheingold rhesus rhine rhineland rhinestone rho rhodes rhodesia rhodesian rhone pyrrhic

Silent H at the start of a word

⟨hour⟩ and ⟨heir⟩ — H fully silent

hour hourglass heir heiress heirloom

⟨herb⟩ — H silent in American English

In British English the H is pronounced; in American English it's silent.

herb herbaceous herbal

Silent H inside words

⟨hi⟩ between vowels

annihilate annihilating annihilation nihilism prohibition vehicle

Compounds and place names

architrave buddhist burnham durham gothenburg sinhalese solzhenitsyn stanhope tottenham