H muet vs h aspiré
Neither h is pronounced — but one type allows elision and liaison, and the other blocks them.
H muet (mute h) behaves like a vowel: it allows elision and liaison: l'heure (the hour), les hommes (the men) (liaison z).
H aspiré (aspirate h) behaves like a consonant: it BLOCKS elision and liaison, even though the h itself is still silent: le héros (the hero) (no l'), les héros (the heroes) (no liaison z).
Trap for English speakers: neither h is ever actually pronounced, so you cannot hear the h itself — only whether the word before it elides/links tells you which type it is; this must be memorized per word, not read off the spelling.
- l'heure — the hour — h muet, elides
- le héros — the hero — h aspiré, doesn't elide
- les hommes — the men — liaison (z)
- les héros — the heroes — no liaison