This is a common problem for many learners of English. As the /v/ sound does not exist in some languages (e.g. Mandarin), many learners produce a /w/ sound instead of /v/ – for example “Wictoria” instead of “Victoria”.
The /w/ sound is produced with both lips in a round shape. The v sound is a vibrating sound, produced with the top teeth lightly touching the lower lip.
Exercise 1: Contrasting the sounds
- Listen to the word pairs, focusing on the two different sounds.
- Then repeat, again focusing on saying the different sounds for /w/ and /r/
| /w/ | /v/ | |
| wet | vet | |
| wine | vine | |
| whale | veil | |
| went | vent | |
| wiper | viper | |
| wow | vow | |
| west | vest | |
| worse | verse | |
| wheel | veal |
Exercise 2: Listening and distinguishing the sounds
This will help you learn to distinguish the two sounds.
- Listen to the recording.
- Choose the word you hear.
- You can listen as many times as you want.
Tongue twister
- Repeat the following tongue twister.
- Focus on the two different sounds /w/ as in wet and /v/ as in vet.
- Repeat again, trying to say the tongue twister faster and faster.
Wendy van Willem went to the vet with her very white whippet
On the way to the vet, they viewed a very violet vizla
Said the whippet to the vizla “Where are you going?”
Said the vizla to the whippet “I’m going to the worst vineyard in the wide wild west to drink the very worst wine in the vineyard.