Fricatives
How to pronounce /v/ V as in very
veryoverlove
How to make it
Top teeth on your bottom lip, push air through with your voice on.
- Tongue
- Stays down and out of the way
- Lips
- Bottom lip under the top teeth
- Voice
- Buzzing on
Watch the mouth
Top teeth resting on your bottom lip, then buzz.
Where learners slip
- Arabic speakersOften replaced by /f/ — very can land as ferry.
- Spanish speakersOften merged with /b/ — very can land as berry.
- Japanese speakersOften replaced by /b/ — very can land as berry.
- Korean speakersOften replaced by /b/ — very can land as berry.
- Chinese speakersOften replaced by /w/ — very can land as wery.
- Thai speakersOften replaced by /w/ — very can land as wery.
- Hindi speakersV and W merge — very and wary sound the same.
- Indonesian speakersOften replaced by /f/ — very can land as ferry.
Say it on real English. See if it lands.
Lang Shadow scores /v/ every time you say it — in Shorts, in role plays and in your own words — and colours it next to the other 40 sounds.