Lips
Press both lips together, then release them gently.
Voiced consonants
/b/as in bad
Voiced: your vocal cords buzz while your lips are closed.
Example words: bad, cab, rob, baby, job
Accent
Mouth
How do you pronounce the /b/ sound?
Tongue
Your tongue rests low and neutral. The lips make the sound.
Video lesson
Try it
- Close both lips exactly as for /p/.
- Put a hand on your throat and start the buzz while your lips are still closed. You should feel a soft hum.
- Release the lips gently, with no big puff of air.
- At the end of a word, keep the buzz alive until the very last moment.
- Now say: bad, cab, rob.
Check
Say "pad" and "bad" back to back with a hand on your throat. Buzz from the very start means /b/; buzz only after the release means /p/. Then test the ending: "cab" vs "cap".
Common trap
Letting the voice switch off. If /b/ loses its buzz at the start or end of a word, "bad" turns into "bat" and "cab" turns into "cap". Keep the buzz running right up to the release.
Practice: /b/
Words
badbˈæd
cabkˈæb
robɹˈɑb
babybˈeɪbi
jobdʒˈɑb
Sentences
My brother bought a big blue bag.mˌaɪ bɹˈʌðəɹ bˈɔt ɐ bˈɪɡ blˈu bˈæɡ.
The baby is sleeping in bed.ðə bˈeɪbi ɪz slˈipɪŋ ɪn bˈɛd.
I borrowed a book from the library.ˌaɪ bˈɑɹoʊd ɐ bˈʊk fɹʌm ðə lˈaɪbɹˌɛɹi.
Bob got a new job at the bank.bˈɑb ɡɑt ɐ nˈu dʒˈɑb æt ðə bˈæŋk.
Grab the cab before it leaves.ɡɹˈæb ðə kˈæb bəfˈɔɹ ɪt lˈivz.
Words
badbˈad
cabkˈab
robɹˈɒb
babybˈeɪbi
jobdʒˈɒb
Sentences
My brother bought a big blue bag.mˌaɪ bɹˈʌðə bˈɔːt ɐ bˈɪɡ blˈuː bˈaɡ.
The baby is sleeping in bed.ðə bˈeɪbi ɪz slˈiːpɪŋ ɪn bˈɛd.
I borrowed a book from the library.ˌaɪ bˈɒɹəʊd ɐ bˈʊk fɹɒm ðə lˈaɪbɹəɹi.
Bob got a new job at the bank.bˈɒb ɡɒt ɐ njˈuː dʒˈɒb at ðə bˈaŋk.
Grab the cab before it leaves.ɡɹˈab ðə kˈab bɪfˈɔː ɪt lˈiːvz.
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Sounds in the same group
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