The letter "H" is usually (always?) silent in Spanish. So why is the name "Hector" pronounced "Heck-ter" and not "Eck-ter"?
Or is "Hector" an anglicization of the spelling of a name which is really "Jector"?
asked Nov 10, 2014 at 21:31
B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow RavenB. Clay Shannon-B. Crow Raven
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6I've never heard Hector pronounced with aspiration. There are a handful of dialects that preserve initial aspiration, but only with words that etymologically had an f- in those words (and I don't think Hector is such a thing)– user0721090601Commented Nov 10, 2014 at 21:56
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I reckon the Hector I know is introduced that way for "us Gringos" then.– B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow RavenCommented Nov 10, 2014 at 22:08
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1Is this when he introduces himself in Spanish or in English? I know I introduce myself with different names or pronunciations of them depending on the language I'm speaking, and that may be what he's doing.– user0721090601Commented Nov 10, 2014 at 22:14
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Yes, he doesn't speak Spanish to me, so he probably Americanized the pronunciation of his name for me.– B. Clay Shannon-B. Crow RavenCommented Nov 10, 2014 at 22:34
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4 Answers
May be a regional variation, but at least in Spain I always heard it like "Eck-tor" with the "H" being silent. I have actually heard some people pronouncing it as "ejj-tor".
Héctor comes from the Greek (one of the heroes of the Illiad), and means Steadfast.
I don't know about regional variations but at least I've never heard it like that, the H is always silent.
You're confusing this word pronunciation in english language with spanish where the H has no sound at all. There is no possibility of pronouncing Hector in spanish the same way as english. Always H is silent.
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There are a handful of dialects in Extremadura, Andalucía, Cantabria, and the Canary Islands that maintain H with aspiration (but generally only in etymologically f- words) Commented Nov 16, 2014 at 21:00
I agree, the H should be silent.
I think there may be leeway in the pronunciation of the J sound like, "Juan" or "Ciudad Juarez". I have heard with a strong H sound, and sometimes hardly at all.
