Huit is the only French cardinal that takes the h-aspire treatment: the h is silent, yet the word still blocks elision (le huit, not l’huit) and inconsistently permits liaison. Here is each context with IPA.
Updated May 2026
Phrase
IPA
Context
Audio
huit
/ɥit/
In isolation. T voiced.
le huit
/lə ɥit/
With article. No elision: you say le huit, not l'huit. This is the h-aspire blocking rule.
huit ans
/ɥi.t‿ɑ̃/
Before vowel-initial noun. T carries to next word.
huit heures
/ɥi.t‿oer/
Same pattern; t voiced.
huit livres
/ɥi livʁ/
Before consonant-initial noun. T drops.
huit jours
/ɥi ʒuʁ/
Same. T drops.
dix-huit
/diz.ɥit/
Inside the compound 18. The x of dix voices to /z/, the h of huit stays silent, the t is voiced.
In isolation: /ɥit/. The h is silent. The u is the rounded /ɥ/ glide. The i is short. The t is voiced. Larousse and Wiktionnaire both give /ɥit/ as the standard.
Is the h in huit silent?
Yes, modern French does not pronounce the h. But huit behaves as a so-called h aspire word: it blocks elision (you say le huit, not l'huit) while still permitting liaison in some contexts. The same is true of huitieme (eighth), huitante (Swiss 80), huitaine (around eight).
Why do French speakers say le huit not l'huit?
Historical convention. The Latin word octo started with a vowel, so French initially elided (l'huit). In the 17th century, after the Renaissance reintroduction of Latin-aware spelling and possibly under Germanic influence, huit was reclassified as h-aspire. The Academie francaise codified it that way and the rule has held since.
Does huit have liaison before a vowel?
Yes. Despite blocking elision, huit permits liaison: huit ans = /ɥi.t‿ɑ̃/, huit heures = /ɥi.t‿oer/. This is the unusual property of h-aspire words: they neither elide nor block liaison consistently. Huit liaises; some other h-aspire words (haricot, hibou) do not.
How is huitieme pronounced?
Huitieme is /ɥi.tjɛm/. The ordinal suffix -ieme attaches directly; the t of huit voices into the suffix. Same behaviour for dix-huitieme /diz.ɥi.tjɛm/.