Easyb · v
Vera's van, Bella's bus.
Tongue twisters · b · v
B and v
Very, not berry: lips pop for b, teeth buzz for v.
- Age
- Ages 3–11
- Skill
- Speaking · Phonics
- Format
- Printable
Why this sound is hard
the Spanish trapIn Spanish, b and v are spelled differently but sound the same, so children say berry for very and best for vest — and an English listener hears a different word. Russian keeps б and в apart, so Russian-speaking children rarely trip here.
Where the mouth goes
B is a pop: both lips press together, then open. V never closes: the top teeth rest on the bottom lip and buzz — a finger on the lip feels it tickle. In a mirror you see teeth for v, never for b.
The twisters, easy to hard
Listen slowly first, then at normal speed — then say it three times fast against the stopwatch. Dotted words open the picture dictionary.
Easyb · v
Ben's best vest is very blue.
Mediumb · v· traditional
A big black bug bit a big black bear.
Mediumb · v
Vivid violets in a velvet vase.
Mediumb · v
Vicky's violin and Bobby's banjo sound very good.
Hardb · v· traditional
Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter.
Hardb · v· traditional
Rubber baby buggy bumpers.
One card per twister, no buttons — cut them apart for a twister jar.
Practise the same sound
Train the ear first with a listen-and-pick game, then read the sound in words.
Related resources
Flashcards
Tongue twisters: The th sound
Think, not sink or tink: the tongue peeks out between the teeth.