not to want my children being taught to say 'haitch'?

[cutegorilla]

It really annoys me. Now my 4yo DS won't believe me when I say it should be 'aitch' because his teacher says 'haitch' and so does everyone else (perhaps not altogether surprising if that's what they're being taught).

Go on, tell me I'm being a snob.

Those who say 'haitch' do you say N haitch S? I don't think I've ever heard it said that way. Just wondered .

I am from 'Artlepool (with an aitch) and I don't think anyone from here, who has our local accent, could pronounce the letter as Haitch if their life depended on it, so I remain unprovoked by it
I have a friend named Ellen and people always think it's Helen, because they are pronounced identically here.

YANBU. Everyone used to say 'haitch' in Australia when we lived there. I have had stand up rows with Aussies about it. My boss (also English) used to win the argument (they used to bang on about language evolving) by saying "yes but it sounds bloody awful".

It really makes me cringe.

At 4yo, his teacher should be teaching him phonics so it would be a sort of soft 'hu' sound.

Athinginyour life - spot on. Being brought up as a protestant in N Ireland it was definitely subconciously (if not overtly) thought that Catholics saying "haitch" was a sign of being thick.

Thankfully I've been out of it for nearly 20 years and now understand that it really doesn't matter how you pronounce H. Having said that, "aitch" is the right way

pronounciation and accents vary.. it really does not bother me at all how people say things, so long as they say them politely... :)

YANBU
I wouldn't be very happy.

assuming someone is thick because of how they say haitch/aitch?

thats kind of an oxymoron.

I am always shocked when newsreaders and the like say haitch. I absolutely hate it, but am starting to feel like part of an ever diminishing minority. All the grandkids are being taught Haitch and only one of them has an Irish teacher!!

I believe children should be taught to speak correctly. Failure to do so may limit them in their achievements later on in life. Don't imagine you get many barristers using slang in court. They will pick up enough bad habits as teenagers.

Yes, it's the acceptable Irish pronunciation. You can see the logic, though, can't you? Haitch is for Horse, etc. Not Aitch is for Orse. I still use this pronunciation, hope no one's secretly looking down their nose

YANBU OP

YANBU - aitch is the letter's name, not the sound it makes!

YANBU OP. It's not snobby, its regional IME, btw.

I live in the East Midlands and a lot of people say haitch round here. It's not how the word is spelled so it's as wrong as saying howl for the bird that fies at night, or hate for what you did last night with your dinner, but I have tried and failed before to persuade people on MN of that (resigned )

I really don't see why it is stupid that aitch is correct! Lots of letters in the English alphabet don't start with the sound the represent. m, n, x, y, w, f etc. Molly, it't not mem is for molly, is it?
(oh I see edam has said the same )

My name begins with 'h' and for 28 years I would spell it out as 'Haitch'. It was only last year when someone 11 year old nephew corrected me that I looked into it. I was v embarrassed. in my defence, I grew up in an area of Manchester where almost everyone had an Irish surname/background. I blame Catholicism!

YANBU

Athinginyourlife - Obv my post didn't come across in the lighthearted way it was meant! Dear me love, don't take things so seriously! It gets on my tits yes, but this is a fairly lightehearted thread surely! My Ausie colleagues loved this sort of argument and one of my main adversaries on the haitch/witch issue is a very dear friend :)

My DH says 'haitch' but he is Irish - I think that is the norm isn't it?

Oh Lord

Is she a good teacher though? If she is, then yes you are being incredibly unresonable.

Gawd damn fat fingers & iPad auto correct - Aussie not Ausie and aitch not witch!!

So did the jai/jay issue get resolved then?

I have learnt 2 things from posting this thread:

1. That aitch/haitch is a sectarian issue!
2. That my husband says "haitch" 19 years and I never knew! Funnily enough he does say "N aitch S" though. Apparently that's just because it is easier to say .

DS's teacher is good yes, and lovely, and I'd never say anything to her about it. I just keep correcting arguing with DS at home. I've been through this before with DD and she readily accepted my version, just DS is obviously more convinced of his teacher's god like status. I'm sure it'll wear off eventually and he will work out that teachers aren't always right and Mummy is.

I was wondering what witches had to do with it .

CunningStunt, "haitch" is most definitely not universal in Scotland, in fact I don't think I know a single Scot who says it. Perhaps also a sectarian thing here? ( racks brains for last time Catholic friend spelled something out...)

However to the two posters who have raised jai/jay I think THAT may be a peculiarly Scottish thing, hence the lack of answers as no non-Scottish posters know what you are on about. My Mum said "jai" and it drove my Dad a mad as "haitch" drives the OP. He was a newsreader on the radio so I imagine that he knew what was correct.

I'm not Scottish or Irish and nearly everyone I know says haitch. This includes the graduates, those with naice houses and jobs, and those who shop at JL.

Those that don't, don't let it bother them as far as I'm aware, but you never know