Concept:In
heir the
h is silent and
eir is pronounced /eə/, so
heir sounds exactly like
air.
Solution:Compare the sound of each option with /eə/:
A. here: /hɪə/, starts with /h/ and has the vowel /ɪə/ (as in
ear)
B. hail: /heɪl/, vowel /eɪ/ (as in
day)
C. air: /eə/ ✓, the same sound as heir
D. hew: /hjuː/, vowel /juː/ (as in
new)
Only "air" matches; heir and air are homophones (same sound, different spelling and meaning).
Key point: The
h is also silent in honest, hour and honour; that is why we say "an heir", "an hour".
Answer:Option C (air)