How to pronounce "an hour" in English — Connected Speech Guide (IPA /əˈnaʊɝ/)

How native English speakers pronounce "an hour" (IPA /əˈnaʊɝ/) — connected speech rule, example sentences, and audio for GA and RP. Free. silent h; n links to the vowel

an hour pronunciation (IPA /əˈnaʊɝ/) — Linking

What happens in this phrase

silent h; n links to the vowel

Example sentences

We waited an hour for the train.
The meeting lasted an hour.
I'll be there in an hour.
It takes an hour to get there.

Common mistakes by native language

Japanese speakers

Mistake: Pronouncing the h in "hour" as a full [h] sound, giving "AN HAWAA".

Why: Spelling-based learning teaches that h is a real consonant; the silent h in "hour" is not marked in orthography.

Fix: The h of "hour" is completely silent. The word starts with a vowel [aʊ], so "an" is used (not "a"), and the n links directly to the vowel: [əˈnaʊər]. Say "anower" as one word.

Korean speakers

Mistake: Producing [h] audibly, or hesitating between "a" and "an" because the written form starts with h.

Why: Korean ㅎ is a robust consonant, and the silent h in English is counterintuitive.

Fix: Silent h words trigger "an" (not "a") because pronunciation matters, not spelling. "An hour" = [əˈnaʊər]. Same rule applies to "an honor", "an heir", "an honest man".

Spanish speakers

Mistake: Producing a strong [xawa] with Spanish jota pronunciation, or over-stressing the schwa in "an".

Why: Spanish h is silent (as in English "hour"), but Spanish speakers sometimes over-correct English words with h.

Fix: "Hour" starts with the vowel [aʊ] (like "our", homophonous in most accents). "An hour" = [əˈnaʊər]. The Spanish silent h rule applies directly.

Similar phrase patterns

an apple — n-linking to a real vowel: Same n-linking mechanism: [əˈnæpəl]. "An apple" has explicit vowel spelling, "an hour" has silent h before vowel.
an honor — n-linking across silent h: Same silent-h pattern: [əˈnɒnər]. Both illustrate that "an" cares about sound, not spelling.
an heir — n-linking across silent h (advanced): [əˈneər]. The classic English trivia case — silent h + "an" trigger + smooth linking.

Practice sentences

I'll be there in an hour. (arrival estimate)
It only takes an hour by train. (travel duration)
Give me an hour to finish this. (requesting time)
We waited for over an hour. (frustration narrative)
The meeting lasted an hour and a half. (duration report)

Notes

"An hour" showcases one of English's most cited spelling-vs-pronunciation asymmetries: the rule for choosing "a" vs "an" depends on the *sound* that follows, not the *letter*. "Hour", "honor", "heir", "honest" all begin with a written h that is completely silent, so they take "an" and link naturally: [əˈnaʊər], [əˈnɒnər], [əˈneər], [əˈnɒnəst]. Conversely, words like "university" and "European" begin with the consonant sound [j] despite starting with a written vowel, so they take "a": "a university", "a European". Once a learner internalizes the sound-based rule, article selection becomes automatic. "Hour" is homophonous with "our" in most English accents, adding a small layer of contextual disambiguation for listeners.