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Pronunciation · Minimal pairs · medium functional load

/b/ vs /v/ — berry vs very

In short

The full-stop /b/ and the continuous /v/ separate ban/van, best/vest and boat/vote. Spanish speakers in particular tend to blend the two into one soft sound. This contrast carries a MEDIUM functional load — the contrast separates a fair number of word pairs, so it is worth systematic practice once the high-load contrasts are stable.

How to hear (and make) the difference

/b/ fully closes both lips then releases; /v/ never closes — top teeth rest on the bottom lip while air flows continuously. Hold a long 'vvvv'; you cannot hold a /b/.

Most challenging for Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog speakers.

7 minimal pairs with audio

Play each side and copy it. Then read the pairs aloud — can a listener tell which word you said?

  • berry/ˈberi/
    very/ˈveri/
  • ban/bæn/
    van/væn/
  • best/best/
    vest/vest/
  • boat/bəʊt/
    vote/vəʊt/
  • bet/bet/
    vet/vet/
  • curb/kɜːb/
    curve/kɜːv/
  • marble/ˈmɑːbəl/
    marvel/ˈmɑːvəl/

Test your ear

Perception comes before production: if you can't hear the contrast, you can't say it reliably. Free, unlimited, different voices each round.

Listening drill

/b/ vs /v/ — berry vs very

1/8

/b/ fully closes both lips then releases; /v/ never closes — top teeth rest on the bottom lip while air flows continuously. Hold a long 'vvvv'; you cannot hold a /b/.

The contrast in sentences

Same sentence frame, different word — say both versions and make them unmistakably different.

  • They will ban it tomorrow.

    They will van it tomorrow.

  • I liked the boat.

    I liked the vote.

Keep exploring

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between berry and very?
berry /ˈberi/ uses the /b/ sound while very /ˈveri/ uses /v/. /b/ fully closes both lips then releases; /v/ never closes — top teeth rest on the bottom lip while air flows continuously. Hold a long 'vvvv'; you cannot hold a /b/.
What are minimal pairs and why practise them?
Minimal pairs are word pairs that differ by exactly one sound (ship/sheep). Practising them trains your ear and mouth on the single difference that separates the words — perception research (high variability phonetic training) shows this transfers to real speaking.
Which learners find the /b/ vs /v/ contrast hardest?
It is most challenging for Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog speakers, whose first languages don't separate these two sounds.
Do these pairs matter for IELTS Speaking?
They help. IELTS scores intelligibility, so contrasts that change word meaning matter most — this one is worth practising once the high-priority vowel contrasts are stable.

Next step

Get scored saying these pairs

SpeakMetry's Pronunciation Coach listens to you say each pair and tells you whether the contrast survived — plus which sound to fix and how.

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