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Spanish "v" pronunciation | ||
Tags: Pronunciation | Spanish | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| ashshea Newbie United States Joined 5378 days ago 19 posts - 19 votes Speaks: English* Studies: German | Message 9 of 49 23 March 2010 at 1:11am | IP Logged | |||||
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I've encountered the v pronounced differently from b several times in various places. So
I don't think it's only a problem with that specific recording. I almost wonder if it's a phoneme difference that native language speakers don't distinguish from and so can't hear. However, maybe as a native English speaker I can hear it? Anyway, all I really want to know is this-- if I pronounce the letter v as a v sound and the letter b as a b sound will I be understood? I am studying psycholinguistics as a grad student and normally I am very interested in discussing phonemes. But, honestly, right now I just want to know what to pronounce so that I can move on with my studying. Thanks for the replies. I appreciate everyone's help! 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| psy88 Senior Member United States Joined 5589 days ago 469 posts - 882 votes  Studies: Spanish*, Japanese, Latin, French | Message 10 of 49 23 March 2010 at 3:15am | IP Logged | |||||
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Over the years, I have worked with four different Spanish tutors. All four were native speakers but from four different countries: Puerto Rico, Peru,Venezuela, and, Ecuador. All claimed that their pronunciation of the letter "v" was the correct one. The ones from Ecuador and Puerto Rico pronounced the Spanish letter "v" like the English "v". The one from Peru pronounced it like the English "b". Even when she spoke English, she used that same pronunciation,e.g. talking about her "bista" and how she liked to play "bolly ball on the beach". The tutor from Peru said it was because because she was "better educated". The tutors from Ecuador and Puerto Rico both said it was because they were "from the city and not the countryside." The one from Venezuela said she used both pronunciations because she "did not really think about it any more".
I also consulted two American born Spanish high school teachers, both of whom had studied and lived in Spain. You can probably guess: one taught the "v" sound, the other the "b" sound. Michele Thomas uses the "b" sound. Margarita Madrigal in Magic Key to Spanish teaches the sounds as used in English. Rosetta Stone seems to use both, in order to get the listener used to regional differences, I suppose. Confusing, isn't it? My suggestion is to just pick one and stay with it. When you get to be conversational you can easily switch to match the person with whom you are speaking. You will be understood either way. Save the worry and anxiety about learning for when you start the subjunctive :-) 4 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Ajijic10 Diglot Senior Member Mexico Joined 6913 days ago 161 posts - 210 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish | Message 11 of 49 23 March 2010 at 3:24am | IP Logged | |||||
Exactly. It's only confusing when you are given advice by people who are speaking from an academic standpoint. I've lived in Mexico for 5 years and I can tell you that some people use more of a "v" pronunciation and some sound a little more like "b". One thing is clear though, it's never as strong as the English "b" as in "bottle". Another sound which cause expats fits here is the "ll". Most native speakers here pronounce "llamo" like an English speaker would say "yamo", but every so often you will hear it pronounced with more of a "yzhamo". It's very pronounced when you hear someone from Argentina, but many Mexicans use it also (albeit not quite as strongly). Think of it this way. When a person from Boston says "I bought a new ca", you know what they mean. Just like when my Cuban friend says "lo do", I know he is saying "los dos". Don't worry, you'll be understood either way, I guarantee you as a person who speaks with Spanish speakers daily. Edited by Ajijic10 on 23 March 2010 at 3:30am 5 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Johntm Senior Member United StatesRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5420 days ago 616 posts - 725 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 12 of 49 23 March 2010 at 5:19am | IP Logged | |||||
I pronounce the "v" in Spanish pretty much as a "b" 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Walshy Triglot Senior Member Australia Joined 6940 days ago 335 posts - 365 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, German | Message 13 of 49 23 March 2010 at 9:47am | IP Logged | |||||
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I read from assimil and FSI programs, and various pronunciation websites that B and V could be interchanged freely in writing and it would make no difference to pronunciation, that is, they are exactly the same.
Then my Chilean tutor told my class to say "Veinte" with a distinct English V sound. What the? 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Talairan Tetraglot Senior Member Spain Joined 6590 days ago 194 posts - 258 votes Speaks: Afrikaans, English*, Gypsy/Romani, Dutch Studies: Spanish, Flemish, Galician, Aramaic | Message 14 of 49 23 March 2010 at 12:18pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Here is a helpful page on the pronunciation: http://www.studyspanish.com/pronunciation/letter_bv.htm
and this site has a very comprehensive explanation: http://www.champs-elysees.com/products/spanish/spanish_pronu nciation/B-V_phonetics.htm 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| JacobTM Groupie United States Joined 5596 days ago 56 posts - 67 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 15 of 49 23 March 2010 at 5:25pm | IP Logged | |||||
It's no more a mistake than Dunkin Donuts or Kool Aid, it's just a different way to spell the same sounds. Edited by JacobTM on 23 March 2010 at 5:30pm 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| ashshea Newbie United States Joined 5378 days ago 19 posts - 19 votes Speaks: English* Studies: German | Message 16 of 49 23 March 2010 at 6:56pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Thank you so much! I feel better now. :)
1 person has voted this message useful |
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