Pronunciation of the v in Spanish

In this listening lesson you're going to hear how the 'v' is pronounced in Spanish. The pronunciation of the letter 'v' can vary slightly depending on the region, but it is generally pronounced very similarly to the letter 'b'. In most Spanish-speaking countries, there is little to no distinction between the sounds of 'b' and 'v', and both are pronounced as a soft bilabial sound, where the lips gently come together.

For example, the words "vaca" (cow) and "baca" (roof rack) are often pronounced the same way. However, in some regions, particularly in parts of Spain, there may be a slight difference, with 'v' being pronounced with a bit more of a labiodental sound, where the upper teeth lightly touch the lower lip, closer to the English 'v'. Despite this, the difference is usually subtle, and in most cases, speakers rely on context rather than pronunciation to distinguish between 'b' and 'v'.

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