How to tell /f/ and /v/ apart
Practice the difference between the voiceless fricative /f/ and the voiced fricative /v/.
/f/
Voiceless F
fan /fæn/
A voiceless fricative. The top teeth touch the bottom lip with no voice.
Common mistake: Learners may voice /f/, making fan sound like van.
/v/
Voiced V
van /væn/
A voiced fricative. The top teeth touch the bottom lip with the voice on.
Common mistake: Learners may replace /v/ with /w/ or /f/.
- •/f/ is voiceless: fan, face, leaf.
- •/v/ is voiced: van, vase, leave.
- •Top teeth touch the bottom lip for both.
- •Touch your throat — /v/ vibrates.
Minimal pairs
fan/fæn/
van/væn/
leaf/liːf/
leave/liːv/
fine/faɪn/
vine/vaɪn/