Where is the 'h' silent in German

In German, h is silent inside a word after a vowel in many cases, where it mainly signals that the vowel before it is long rather than pronounced. Examples include sehen and gehen.

How it works

• At the start of a word or syllable, h is usually pronounced, like the h in English “house.”

• After a vowel inside a word , it is often silent and marks a long vowel sound instead.

• In some borrowed words or compounds, pronunciation can vary by word structure, but the silent-letter pattern is the main rule learners notice.

Quick examples

• Haus → pronounced h.
• sehen → h is silent.
• gehen → h is silent.

In short: German h is usually silent between vowels or after a vowel inside a word , especially when it lengthens the vowel.

TL;DR

German h is not generally silent at the beginning of words, but it is often silent after a vowel within a word to show vowel length.