Is it "a honor" or "an honor"? is h silent in this word in American English? [closed]

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I read a tweet of President Obama:

An honor to address the Coast Guard class of 2015. Confident they'll help us meet big challenges like climate change.

Is h a silent letter in this word in American English?

The "h" is silent. But both "a" or "an" can be used. It would be a bit odd to hear "a honor", but some people do this for emphasis. — A.Ellett, Commented May 24, 2015 at 0:21
The "h" is mostly silent. There is often a hint of an "h" sound in words like "honor", but it is still treated as a vowel sound. — Hot Licks, Commented May 24, 2015 at 0:23
@HotLicks I have never heard any hint of an h in honour as spoken by any native speaker. Of some people do add in a bit of aitchiness, I suspect it's because of the spelling. — Janus Bahs Jacquet, Commented May 24, 2015 at 0:55
@HotLicks I suspect it's not actually there—or rather, that the likelihood of there being any actual, phonetic aspiration in honour is about the same as in on a (can't think of a pair that rhymes properly in AmE apart from on her, which just moves the issue to the next syllable). — Janus Bahs Jacquet, Commented May 24, 2015 at 1:07

Rand al'Thor · Accepted Answer · 2015-05-24 00:26:02Z

7

Yes, the H in hono(u)r is silent in both American and British English.

Sources: one, two, three.

answered May 24, 2015 at 0:26

Rand al'Thor

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