Czech "h" sound

[John Dunn]

A quick look at various reference works produced some surprising
variations, but the clearest explanation I have been able to find is
in Hanna Dalewska-Gren, Jezyki slowanskie, PWN, W-wa, 1997, Section
3.4.4, p.103, according to which the 'h' sound is laryngeal in Czech
and Slovak, pharyngeal in Ukrainian and either pharyngeal or a velar
in Belarusian.  A colleague whose post-graduate work compared the
phonetics of Czech and English pointed out that the difference
between them is that in the former the sound is always voiced,
whereas in the latter it is voiced only in inter-vocalic position (as
in 'behave'), word-initial 'h' (as in 'have') being unvoiced.

I hope that casts some light.

John Dunn.


>I always thought that Czech "h" is pronounced exactly like Belarusan or
>Ukrainian "h". Now that I am in Prague, I noticed that people pronounce
>it exactly as an English "h". It seems, especially the young people,
>though on TV and on the radio it sounds fine. Is it just some problem
>with my hearing or there is something wrong here?
>
>Regards,
>Uladzimir Katkouski
>http://www.pravapis.org/ - Belarusian Language Site
>
>
>
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--
John Dunn
Department of Slavonic Studies
University of Glasgow
Hetherington Building
Bute Gardens
Glasgow
G12 8RS
Tel.: +44 (0)141-330-5591
Fax: +44 (0)141-330-2297
e-mail: J.Dunn at slavonic.arts.gla.ac.uk

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