From: naddy@mips.inka.de   
      
   On 2025-07-01, Tilde  wrote:   
      
   > "haitch" does sound oldish. Wondering if there is a   
   > difference/preference between English as spoken in   
   > America or GB... If you recite the alphabet (again,   
   > this is for English speakers), sure seems to come   
   > out "aitch".   
      
   I had never head of "haitch" until it was discussed in one of the   
   usual places (alt.usage.english, sci.lang or Language Log) many   
   years ago.  Wikipedia confirms my recollection: The "haitch"   
   pronunciation is Irish and in some places it's a shibboleth: If you   
   went to Catholic school, you learned "haitch", otherwise it was   
   "aitch".   
      
   "Haitch" is spreading in BrE. J.C. Wells in the _Longman Pronunciation   
   Dictionary_, 3rd ed., 2008, cites these figures:   
     Preference poll: BrE: eɪtʃ 84%, heɪtʃ 16% (born since 1982, 24%)   
      
   --   
   Christian "naddy" Weisgerber                          naddy@mips.inka.de   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)