H is always silent

Explanation

Zero exceptions in native words: hombre, hijo, hasta, ahí. The letter survives from Latin/Arabic etymology only.

Knock-on effects: hielo starts with the diphthong /je/ (hence agua y hielo, not e), and h never blocks linking: los hombres ≈ 'lo-som-bres'.

Two knock-on effects are worth internalizing: hielo opens with the diphthong /je/, which is why it takes y (agua y hielo, not e); and a silent h never blocks linking, so los hombres runs together as 'lo-som-bres'. The letter is pure etymology — Latin or Arabic — with no native exceptions.

Examples

Related rules

• G and j: gato, gente, jugo
• Y → e, o → u: sound-driven swaps