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PRONUNCIATION: BASIC SOUNDS
The V Sound and the W Sound
/v/ and /w/

GOAL

I can make the V sound and the W sound.

TRY IT!

Read the sentence below.

I went to David and Vicky’s wedding last week!

SOUNDS

Learn how to pronounce today's sounds.
Sound Profile

/v/

Voicing

yes

Mouth

slightly open

Lips

Teeth

the top front teeth touching the inside lower lip

Tongue

Jaw

Steps

  1. Slightly open your mouth.

  2. Put your top front teeth gently on the inside of your lower lip.      

  3. Make a voiced sound.  

  4. You should feel your lips vibrate.

Katakana Otoshiana

Because there is no perfect match for the V sound in Japanese, many English words with that sound are written with ui (ウイ) or even b (ビ) in katakana.

 

virus ➡ uirusu (ウイルス)

Victor ➡ bikutaa (ビクター)

vegetarian ➡ bejitarian (ベジタリアン)

 

Be careful to make them the V sound in English!

 

/w/

Voicing

yes

Mouth

slightly open ➡ open

Lips

rounded + pushed forward

Teeth

Tongue

Jaw

Steps

  1. Slightly open your mouth.  

  2. Round your lips and push them forward.

  3. Make a voiced sound. At the same time, open your mouth.  

Katakana Otoshiana

English words with the W sound are written in katakana in many different ways.

 

Washington ➡ washinton (ワシントン)

website ➡ uebusaito (ウエブサイト)

window ➡ uindou (ウインドウ)

 

However, in English, the W sound is always formed the same way, regardless of the vowel that follows it.

 

Steps

  1. Slightly open your mouth.

  2. Put your top front teeth gently on the inside of your lower lip.      

  3. Make a voiced sound.  

  4. You should feel your lips vibrate.

Steps

  1. Slightly open your mouth.  

  2. Round your lips and push them forward.

  3. Make a voiced sound. At the same time, open your mouth.  

Katakana Otoshiana

Because there is no perfect match for the V sound in Japanese, many English words with that sound are written with ui (ウイ) or even b (ビ) in katakana.

 

virus ➡ uirusu (ウイルス)

Victor ➡ bikutaa (ビクター)

vegetarian ➡ bejitarian (ベジタリアン)

 

Be careful to make them the V sound in English!

 

Katakana Otoshiana

English words with the W sound are written in katakana in many different ways.

 

Washington ➡ washinton (ワシントン)

website ➡ uebusaito (ウエブサイト)

window ➡ uindou (ウインドウ)

 

However, in English, the W sound is always formed the same way, regardless of the vowel that follows it.

 

WORDS

Practice today’s sounds in the words below.

/v/

voice

visit

video

vase

violin

vodka

/w/

wear

winter

wedding

walk

window

west

SENTENCES

Practice today’s sounds in the sentences below.

/v/

  1. There are five violets in the vase.
  2. Ivy takes voice and violin lessons.
  3. Vinny made a video about Venice.
  4. Steven drank seven vodka tonics.
  5. Veronica visited Vancouver in November.

/w/

  1. There’s water in the wagon.
  2. Wendy is wearing white shoes.
  3. We walked west.
  4. Wesley went to a wedding.
  5. Wade opens his windows in winter.

/v/ + /w/

  1. We play video games every Wednesday.
  2. Vanessa walked to Vancouver with Steven.
  3. They had a very wild vacation in West Virginia.
  4. Vivian wants to visit the village next winter.
  5. Victor and Wendy watched their wedding video and drank vodka.

DIALOGUES

Practice today’s sounds in the dialogues below.

/v/

Tutor:

Did you have a good vacation?
Student:

Yeah, it was very fun! I visited my friends in Vancouver.
Tutor:

Oh, I love Vancouver! Did you go sightseeing?
Student:

Not really. We just played video games and watched TV!

/w/

Student:

Hi, Walter. What’s up?
Tutor:

I can’t find my white wool sweater.
Student:

Did you wash it? Maybe it’s in the washing machine.
Tutor:

No, you don’t wash wool in the washing machine!
Student:

Oh, look out the window! Wesley is wearing it!

/v/ + /w/

Student:

I went to David and Vicky’s wedding last week!
Tutor:

Oh, a winter wedding! Nice. Where did they have it? In Virginia?
Student:

No, it was in Venice, Italy!
Tutor:

Whoa, that’s very far!
Student:

Yeah, the flight was seventeen hours! I was very tired, but the wedding was lovely.

TRY IT AGAIN!

Reread the sentence below.

I went to David and Vicky’s wedding last week!