I hear many native speakers do not pronounce the first h in Nehemiah. However, I also found a video pronouncing this h. I am wondering about the correct pronunciation of Nehemiah in English.
- This word is transliterated from the Hebrew word נְחֶמְיָה. If we try to pronounce it in the Hebrew way, the first h should not be silent.
- I am not sure if there is a phonic rule regarding silent h's in English which is applicable here.
So, my question is: should the first h in Nehemiah be silent? If so, why?