Pronunciación básica del español: h, tilde, eñe y vocales

Why is the letter “h” silent in Spanish?

In Spanish, the letter h is silent. You write it, but you never say it. So hola sounds like “ola,” hospital like “ospital,” and hotel like “otel.” Spanish speakers call it la hache muda — “the silent h.” This trips up beginners because in English the h is usually pronounced. The rule is simple and almost always true: see an h, say nothing for it.

The clip says it plainly: Esta letra, no la pronuncies (“This letter, don’t pronounce it”) with the examples hola, hospital, hotel. One thing to watch: the pair ch (as in chico) is its own sound and is not silent. But the lone h stays quiet.