Pronunciation · Minimal pairs · medium functional load
/v/ vs /w/: vest vs west
In short
The teeth-on-lip /v/ and the rounded-lips /w/ separate vine/wine, vet/wet and verse/worse. Merging them is the signature English error for Hindi, Urdu, German and Russian speakers. 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
Look in a mirror: /v/ shows your top teeth touching your bottom lip; /w/ shows a tight round 'kiss' with no teeth at all. If you can see teeth on 'west', it will sound like 'vest'.
Most challenging for Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, German, Russian, Mandarin speakers.
7 minimal pairs with audio
- vestvestwestwest
- vinevaɪnwinewaɪn
- vetvetwetwet
- veilveɪlwhaleweɪl
- versevɜːsworsewɜːs
- vowvaʊwowwaʊ
- varyˈveəriwaryˈweəri
Test your ear
Listening drill
/v/ vs /w/: vest vs west
Look in a mirror: /v/ shows your top teeth touching your bottom lip; /w/ shows a tight round 'kiss' with no teeth at all. If you can see teeth on 'west', it will sound like 'vest'.
The contrast in sentences
The vine was excellent.
The wine was excellent.
His verse got worse.
His worse got worse.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between vest and west?
vest /vest/ uses the /v/ sound while west /west/ uses /w/. Look in a mirror: /v/ shows your top teeth touching your bottom lip; /w/ shows a tight round 'kiss' with no teeth at all. If you can see teeth on 'west', it will sound like 'vest'.
Which learners find the /v/ vs /w/ contrast hardest?
It is most challenging for Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, German, Russian, Mandarin speakers, whose first languages don't separate these two sounds.