I say an historic, but i only started doing that after I started taking French. Its funny how learning one language can affect how one speaks another.
I was going to say something about this as well. I took four years of French in high school, and it really changed the way I view 'H's. Even when I actually do pronounce it I still think of it as a primarily silent letter now.
Taking French changed the way you viewed H? It's a different language! I took plenty of French myself, but it doesn't carry over to English. I don't put on stupid affected accents when I say a word of French origin. Kinda reminds of the guys who go study a semester in the U.K. and come back trying to sound like they're in the royal court
Neither do I, but I do make a point of trying to at least approximate the correct pronunciation of French proper names. Especially names like Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Genevieve Bujold, and Yvette Mimieux.
Its not an affect, I'm not consciously doing it. But taking another language does change how one speaks their own language in at least some ways. It changes how one views the world too, and that's a good thing.
I didn't say it changed the way I pronounce English, that hasn't changed at all. That's why I said that even though I do still pronounce the H, I think of it as more of a silent letter and therefore more worthy of using 'an' in front of it.
Taking Italian and French has made it impossible for me to properly remember how many P's are in Apartment.
I have the same problem, I also want to put an extra "e" in there somewhere. Its funny because apartment is actually an easy word to spell in English, its totally phonetic. Darn romance languages, broadening our horizons
On a side note, I've seen both articles used before SUV (sports utility vehicle): a SUV and an SUV. I prefer the latter because like most people I pronounce each letter separately, as in "an ess-you-vee" rather than "a suv."