How to Pronounce “W” and “V”
The above video is a mini online accent reduction training lesson designed to teach your how to pronounce “W” and “V” sounds. Among all the complicated rules and pronunciations in English, I believe “W” and “V” are the most difficult for learners to discern and pronounce. If you’re learning to speak English as a second language, you’ve probably experienced a few problems regarding these letters.
I notice many of my clients struggle to pronounce the letters “W” and “V” by themselves and in words. I wanted to provide direction on enunciating these letters and offer a few tricks for mastering your pronunciation.
Why do people struggle to pronounce “W” and “V”?
Many people struggle to pronounce “W” and “V” in American English because these letters make completely different sounds in their primary language. For example, “W” and “V” are allophones in the Hindi language, but they are not in English. Some speakers reverse the two letters. For the most part, people struggle to pronounce “W” and “V” because of mouth positioning.
How to Pronounce the “W” Sound
“W” is a sound produced by making the lips into a very small circle and opening it. Think about it like you are about to blow out a candle. Blow air out of your mouth and voice the sound. This is how you would pronounce words like “what”, “when”, and “west”.
One good way to figure out if you are correctly positioning your lips is to take a straw and put it into your mouth. Put your lips around the straw as if you were going to take a sip from a drink. Pull the straw out, and you will have the correct mouth position to make the “W” sound.
How to Pronounce the “V” Sound
With V, your mouth position will be completely different from “W”. To make a “V” sound, have your top teeth rest against your bottom lip. With a little bit of air, you will hear an “F” sound. With this mouth position, float air across using your voice. You should hear a “V” sound. Practice pronouncing “V” with “vest” and “vacation”.
What other sounds in American English are commonly mispronounced?
In my experience, I have seen my clients have problems with the TH sound because it does not exist in their language. “Thumb” is often mispronounced as an F (fum), as a T (tum), or sometimes as an S (sum).
Vowels also present a big challenge. Many of the vowels in American English do not exist in other languages. The sound ih is commonly mispronounced as an e. For example, “slip” may be mispronounced as “sleep”. Learners also struggle with “Y” because it does not exist in many languages and has several English pronunciations.
When practicing a language, the best way to improve is to practice. Practice pronouncing “W” and “V” by checking your mouth positioning in the mirror. You can see these are visually distinct sounds (your mouth position will change), so it’s easy to see if you’re making the right movements to pronounce them.
If you need more guidance on pronouncing “W” and “V” words, I am happy to help! I teach accent reduction courses to help professionals modify and soften their accents to achieve their communication goals. If you are interested in working with me or learning more, fill out this contact form today.
About Derra Huxley, Speech and Language Pathologist
I am a California-licensed Speech-Language Pathologist in Los Angeles. I earned my Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in Communicative Disorders from California State University, Northridge. I work as a Preferred Trainer with LDS & Associates – Accent Modification Program, and I’m a member of CORSPAN (Corporate Speech Pathology Network). I collaborate with people of all ages to improve their communication and pronunciation skills in schools, hospitals, and private practice settings. To learn more or to contact me, complete this form or reach me at 818-421-7444. I look forward to hearing from you!