Error #4

 

Error #4

-Pronunciation of the /b/ and /v/ sound in English.

Explanation of the error: Most of the spanish speakers have this problem due to some confusion of the sounds, since in the spanish speakers pronounce the /b/ and /v/ in the same way, in the sound of /v/ we don't touch our lips with the teeth while, just touch the lips in the two sounds.

Exercise #1

 Listen and repeat the following story until minute 2:00 and complete the sentences, after completing the sentences, circle the /b/ and /v/ sounds found in some words.

The apple tree

1. A long time ago, there was _________ apple tree. A little ______________ and play around it ___________.

2. He _______ to the tree top, ate the apples, _______________. He _______ the tree and the tree ___________ to play with him. Time went ______, the little ______ had grown up and he no longer _____________________________.

 3. One day, the ___________ to the tree and he looked sad. “Come and play with me” ____________________. I am no longer a kid, I don’t play _____________________________. “The boy replied, I want toys. I ____________________________. Sorry, but I

 4. Don’t _________, but you can pick all my __________________. Then you will _______________.

 5. The _____ was so excited. He _________ all the apples on the tree and ______________. The boy never cme __________ after he _______________ the apples.

 6. The tree was sad. _____________, the ________ returned and the tree was so ___________. “Come and play with me” _____________. I don’t _________________. I __________ to work for my family.

 7. We need a house for shelter. ____________________sorry, _____ I don’t _____- a house.

 8. _______ you can chop off my ____________ to _______ your house.

 9. So the __________ all the _________ of the tree and _____________. The tree was glad ______________________.

 10. The tree was again lonely and sad. ____________ summer ______, the _______ returned and the tree was __________. 

Exercise #2

To make both sounds to help you we are going to make the differences when we pronounce them following the next tips:

• /b/ is a plosive sound – you block the air fully with both lips and then release it.
• /v/ is a fricative sound – you squeeze the air between the top teeth and lower lip.
• Both sounds are voiced.

Instructions: In the next exercise you are going to listen an audio, read the text in your mind and finally reconigze the correct pronunciation of /v/ and /b/ combined.

A very beautiful berry.
Hoover the bathroom.
I love to rove the Balkans.
Basically, we’ve broken the blind.
It’s vastly better than before, Vicky.

Here listen the audio

 

Now you are going to repeat the following words making each sound different from another first, you will read one word of the column of v sound and then from the b sound, finally you will read both at the same time combined /v/ and /b/ sounds:

bane      vein

bat         vat

beer       veer

bid         vid

bile         vile

biz          viz

bolt         volt

bowels    vowels

bowl       vole

broom    vroom

dribble   drivel

dub         dove

fiber        fiver

jibe         jive

lobes      loaves

rebel       revel

verb       verve