How Pittsburgh Got Its ‘H’ Back episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 18, 2025 · 16 MIN

How Pittsburgh Got Its ‘H’ Back

from City Cast Pittsburgh · host City Cast

Most of us know how our city got its name — from the British earl and Prime Minister William Pitt. But the spelling of Pittsburgh is far less straightforward. Over time, we’ve debated, lost, and reclaimed our H. So why was it so complicated to agree on one letter? We’re bringing back a conversation between host Megan Harris and historian and author Virginia Montanez to learn about the basic rules of how we spell things (really), why Pittsburgh was so bad at it (shocking), and how newspapermen and intellectuals made everything worse (¯\_(ツ)_/¯).  **This episode originally aired July 22, 2024. Learn more about the sponsors of this February 18th episode: The Frick Pittsburgh Museums and Gardens Pittsburgh Marathon - Use code CITYCAST15 for 15% off any event Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news?  Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh. Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.

Most of us know how our city got its name — from the British earl and Prime Minister William Pitt. But the spelling of Pittsburgh is far less straightforward. Over time, we’ve debated, lost, and reclaimed our H. So why was it so complicated to agree on one letter? We’re bringing back a conversation between host Megan Harris and historian and author Virginia Montanez to learn about the basic rules of how we spell things (really), why Pittsburgh was so bad at it (shocking), and how newspapermen and intellectuals made everything worse (¯\_(ツ)_/¯).  **This episode originally aired July 22, 2024. Learn more about the sponsors of this February 18th episode: The Frick Pittsburgh Museums and Gardens Pittsburgh Marathon - Use code CITYCAST15 for 15% off any event Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news?  Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh. Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.

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How Pittsburgh Got Its ‘H’ Back

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How long is this episode of City Cast Pittsburgh?

This episode is 16 minutes long.

When was this City Cast Pittsburgh episode published?

This episode was published on February 18, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Most of us know how our city got its name — from the British earl and Prime Minister William Pitt. But the spelling of Pittsburgh is far less straightforward. Over time, we’ve debated, lost, and reclaimed our H. So why was it so complicated to agree...

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