Easyw · v· traditional
Which witch is which?
Tongue twisters · w · v
W and v
Wet, not vet: w is all lips, v puts the teeth on the lip.
- Age
- Ages 3–11
- Skill
- Speaking · Phonics
- Format
- Printable
Why this sound is hard
the Russian trapRussian has v but no w, so w words come out with the top teeth on the lip: wet becomes vet and wine becomes vine. Spanish already has the w glide — it is in huevo and agua — so Spanish-speaking children usually manage w; some add a little g in front of it (gwater), and their v tends to come out as b.
Where the mouth goes
W is all lips: round them into a small circle, as if blowing out a candle, and keep the teeth out of it. V is the opposite: the top teeth rest on the bottom lip and buzz. A mirror shows the difference at once.
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.
Easyw · v
Mediumw · v
Wendy waves when Victor visits.
Mediumw · v
Wanda the walrus wears a woolly vest.
Hardw · v· traditional
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Hardw · v· traditional
We'll weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not.
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
Worksheet
At the Hotel
Checking in like a pro: spelling the family name, room twenty-two and a swimming pool.
Worksheet
The Birthday Party
A present, a robot, seven candles — and everybody helps to blow them out.