Lips
Rest your upper front teeth lightly on your lower lip, just like /f/.
Voiced consonants
/v/as in van
Voiced: same teeth-on-lip position as /f/, with the buzz switched on.
Example words: van, have, love, seven, five
Accent
Mouth
How do you pronounce the /v/ sound?
Tongue
Your tongue rests low and neutral. Teeth and lip do the work.
Video lesson
Try it
- Set your upper teeth on your lower lip and blow gently, as for /f/.
- Now switch on your voice: hand on throat, feel the buzz join the airflow.
- Keep the contact light so air keeps hissing through. If the air stops, you have drifted into /b/.
- Hold a long buzzing "vvvv" for two seconds, then use it in words.
- Now say: van, have, love.
Check
Say "fan" and "van" with a hand on your throat: only "van" buzzes. Then say "vest" and "west" in a mirror: for "vest" your teeth touch your lip; for "west" your lips round instead.
Common trap
Replacing /v/ with /b/ (lips pressed together) or /w/ (lips rounded, no teeth contact). Both lose the friction. Your teeth must touch your lower lip and the air must keep flowing.
Practice: /v/
Words
vanvˈæn
havehæv
lovelˈʌv
sevensˈɛvən
fivefˈaɪv
Sentences
We visited the village every evening.wˌi vˈɪzɪɾᵻd ðə vˈɪlɪdʒ ˈɛvəɹi ˈivnɪŋ.
I love my very old van.ˌaɪ lˈʌv maɪ vˈɛɹi ˈoʊld vˈæn.
She gave me five heavy boxes.ʃˌi ɡˈeɪv mˌi fˈaɪv hˈɛvi bˈɑksᵻz.
They have seven movies to watch.ðˌeɪ hæv sˈɛvən mˈuviz tə wˈɑtʃ.
I believe we will arrive at five.ˌaɪ bəlˈiv wi wɪl əɹˈaɪv æt fˈaɪv.
Words
vanvˈan
havehav
lovelˈʌv
sevensˈɛvən
fivefˈaɪv
Sentences
We visited the village every evening.wˌiː vˈɪzɪtɪd ðə vˈɪlɪdʒ ˈɛvəɹi ˈiːvnɪŋ.
I love my very old van.ˌaɪ lˈʌv maɪ vˈɛɹi ˈəʊld vˈan.
She gave me five heavy boxes.ʃˌiː ɡˈeɪv mˌiː fˈaɪv hˈɛvi bˈɒksɪz.
They have seven movies to watch.ðˌeɪ hav sˈɛvən mˈuːviz tə wˈɒtʃ.
I believe we will arrive at five.ˌaɪ bɪlˈiːv wiː wɪl əɹˈaɪv at fˈaɪv.
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Sounds in the same group
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