Pronounces "H" in house like Captain Hook and Smee?

Latest answer — August 31, 2026

17 Across

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Clue explained

ASPIRATES means “pronounces H”, in the linguistic sense of giving the consonant an audible breath. The jokey surface splits it as AS PIRATES, hence Captain Hook and Smee, who are pirates; the question mark signals that pun.

Clue type:
Pun or wordplay
A pronunciation diagram illustrating the breathy sound of an aspirated H

Telegraph Cryptic Crossword

This clue's Monday, August 31, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Frees former European politician with leads to tax scandal
  2. 5After return of loan, dad finally gets benefits and cheap means of travel
  3. 9Two pubs by area in Windsor, say
  4. 10Covers of cloth more appropriate for part of book
  5. 11Street run enrages foreigners
  6. 12Day before National Theatre performance
  7. 13Medieval landholders abandoning old country
  8. 15Rewarm hot wriggling wriggler
  9. 17Pronounces "H" in house like Captain Hook and Smee?
  10. 19Flatten papers
  11. 22Tops of trees axed in great American pine forest
  12. 23Can a bribe upset West Indian?
  13. 25Guards dropping heads in doorways
  14. 26I involved donors at home
  15. 27Brings up yearly leases
  16. 28Sways accountants?

Down

  1. 1Disorganised mess by a government building
  2. 2Read about odd part of body
  3. 3Seafood uncooked in edges of pan
  4. 4Southern gallery intended to give out a formal account
  5. 5Throws foreign money
  6. 6Type of bar initially seen on trendy form of travel
  7. 7Cunning code deciphered in style!
  8. 8Play guitar holding a tuner initially to get level
  9. 14Went quickly over allocation for commentary
  10. 16Break precipitation and temperature control
  11. 17Article on fool in large port
  12. 18Rope in decorator
  13. 20Offensive sight I noticed, reportedly
  14. 21Diggers in use, sometimes skirting cavities
  15. 23Groups of actors throw opening of scene
  16. 24Offer extremely elegant bathroom fitting

The answer to “Pronounces "H" in house like Captain Hook and Smee?” in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword is ASPIRATES — a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on August 31, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 17-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Pronounces "H" in house like Captain Hook and Smee?” answer

ASPIRATES (9 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is ASPIRATES.

What does ASPIRATES mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of ASPIRATES is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(verb)

  • breathe (something) in; inhale

When else has “Pronounces "H" in house like Captain Hook and Smee?” appeared?

The Telegraph Cryptic reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

August 31, 2026 (most recent) → ASPIRATES. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Pronounces "H" in house like Captain Hook and Smee?”?

The answer is ASPIRATES, a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on August 31, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Pronounces "H" in house like Captain Hook and Smee?”?

9 letters: ASPIRATES.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Telegraph Cryptic crossword on August 31, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 17-Across.

Can “Pronounces "H" in house like Captain Hook and Smee?” have a different answer?

Yes — The Telegraph Cryptic sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's Telegraph Cryptic answers?

The full grid for August 31, 2026 is on the Telegraph Cryptic answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Telegraph Cryptic Crossword is published by The Telegraph; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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