Why Americans Drop the H in Herb | Distant Words

It is often noted that Americans drop the H in the word "herb", something that can seem quite odd to us H-faring Brits. However, as is often the case in these matters, the story is not so cut and dry and involves a little it of French. Click play to discover some truths.

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Laurence Brown is a British writer and YouTuber who somehow convinced the city of Chicago to let him in. He is an English Language graduate from Lancaster University and a passionate word etymologist, with a particular interest in British and American neologisms. Since moving to the United States, he has become increasingly curious about Britain's historical influence on American culture and about America in general.