The Letter 'V' in Spanish
'V' is the twenty-third letter in Spanish alphabet and it represents a consonant sound.
Uppercase form | V |
|---|---|
Lowercase form | v |
Letter name | ve/uve |
Allophones | /b/ ~ /β/ |
How to Pronounce the Letter 'V'
The letter 'v' is pronounced like the letter 'b' in Spanish, not like the English 'v'. And like the Spanish 'b' it has two allophones depending on the position of the letter in the word.
When 'v' comes at the beginning of the word or after 'm' or 'n', it is pronounced as /b/ which is pronounced like the 'b' in English words like 'book'. For example:
vino → /bino/
wine
ventana → /bentana/
window
invierno → /inbjeɾno/
winter
When 'v' appears between vowels, or after consonants other than 'n' and 'm', it is pronounced as /β/, which is a variant of /b/, pronounced by almost closing the lips, but not completely.
avión → /aβjon/
plane
lluvia → /ʝuβja/
rain
volver → /bolβeɾ/
to return
Comments
(0)
Recommended
