Part 4/5:
Interestingly, this trend led to a divergence rather than a convergence in pronunciation. In the UK, the adoption of the initial 'H' in "herb" became a marker of social status. Conversely, in the US, the lack of this pronunciation was not seen as low class but rather as a standard representation of the word. Therefore, when Americans pronounce it "herb," it is not a case of dropping the 'H,' but rather a retention of the original pronunciation.