H

handicapped, disabled

Handicapped is an outdated term. If not, treat the disabled as an adjective or a verb. When writing about persons with disabilities, do not use normal to refer to people without disabilities, use able-bodied or typical instead. A person with some hearing loss is hearing impaired; one totally without hearing is deaf. The challenged designations are also outdated; instead, use terms such as physical, sensory, or mental disability.

health care

The preferred usage is to leave the noun form of this word open including the adjectival form.

Our programs cater to health care professionals.
The nation needs a better system of health care.

> See also: Healthcare (Emory Specifics)

high school

Two words; no caps unless you are using the school's proper name. Don't hyphenate as a modifier.

  • Example: She enjoys high school.
  • Example: He attends Druid Hills High School.
  • Example: They couldn't find dates for their high school prom.

high-tech (adj.), high tech (noun)

Hispanic

> See: nationality and race

historic, historical, history

Historic refers to a noteworthy or famous event in the past; historical can refer to any event in the past. History refers to a chronological record of events affecting a nation, an institution, or a person. Avoid past history (redundant).

  • Current usage dictates that "a" is used before words beginning with a sounded consonant.
    • Example: A historic occasion
    • Used Incorrectly: An historic occasion

> See: a, an

homecoming

Lowercase when it refers to the general event. Uppercase when used as the official proper name of the event.

  • Example: At my college, homecoming was the social event of the year.
  • Example: We are making preparations for Homecoming 2016.

hometown (noun or adj.)

hopefully

This often-misplaced modifier means "full of hope." If your sentence reads: "Hopefully, the sun will shine tomorrow," it means that when the sun shines tomorrow, it will be full of hope. To express the idea that you are full of hope, revise your sentence to: "I hope the sun will shine tomorrow."

Hopefully can fall at the beginning of a sentence as long as it is placed next to the term it is supposed to modify: "Hopefully, the puppy sat beneath the finicky toddler's high chair."

> See also: importantly, thankfully

however

Attach it to the previous sentence with a semicolon, or place it later in its own sentence.

The semester seemed interminable; however, summer vacation arrived at last.
OR The semester seemed interminable. At last, however, summer vacation arrived.

hyphenated words

> See: compound words