How to pronounce 'v' and 'w'

Question

Hi.After 15 years of studying English, I came to know that I cannot pronounce the letters 'v' and 'w' properly so the listners can distinguish them correctly.When I say wedgie, people think that I am saying veggie, or when I ask for vodka, I am served with water.Or people have hard times understanding me when I say the weather is windy.I know that pronounciation should be taught practically with several times of repetition. But I would be grateful if you could tell me what the position of tongue should be when uttering each of these letters.Meanwhile, how I can I practice saying them? It makes me disappointed, when native speakers do not understand me.Are there certain words that I can start practicing by saying them.I think that is the problem of many learners. Any idea, experience would be highly appreciated.Thank you Hamid

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

I am not the expert, but my tongue seems uninvolved; it seems relaxed, and the oral cavity is open, relaxed and rounded.

It is a matter of placing the lower lip under the upper teeth for the initiation of V but of rounding and closing the protruded lips for W.

No doubt CJ will be along to make sense of my attempted explanation.

Khoff · Answer

I am not a teacher of pronunciation (or anything else), but it seems to me that a good way to practice the w words is to start them with "oo." Shape your lips as thought you are blowing out a candle. (oo-windy, oo-water, etc.) Then, when you actually want to use the word in conversation, shape your mouth for the "oo" sound but don't actually pronounce it.

When you want to pronounce a "v" word, start with your top teeth pressing down on your bottom lip.

It's interesting, because to me the V and W sounds are nothing at all alike. I could understand confusing the V sound with the F sound, because they both have the same teeth-on-lip position, but the W is completely different. Please try my suggestions and tell me if they help at all.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Hi hrsanei

Try these minimal pairs, words and phrases. Let us know how it goes!

A-

s

Hrsanei · Answer

Thank you very much Mister Micawber for your help. Your comment is indeed helpful.

Hrsanei · Answer

Thank you Khoff, your explanation was great. I will try to pronounce the letters correctly and see if I am understood properly this way.
Thank you

Hrsanei · Answer

Thank you A.S.
It was great. The choice of words were magnificent.
Who has mads this video?

AlpheccaStars · Answer

hrsaneiThank you A.S.It was great. The choice of words were magnificent.Who has mads this video?

Click on "more info" at the top right of the video.

Khoff · Answer

hrsanei I will try to pronounce the letters correctly and see if I am understood properly this way.

Please let me know!

CalifJim · Answer

hrsaneiwhen I ask for vodka, I am served with water

Well, isn't that a sad state of affairs?

To do this you'll need a pencil, but don't bother to sharpen it because you're not going to write with it.

Hold the pencil horizontally, one end to the left, the other end to the right.
Keeping it horizontal, raise it to your mouth and place it against your upper teeth so it holds your upper lip up to keep it away from your lower lip.
Now, leaving the pencil there, gently bite your lower lip. You are ready to say your Vs (and Fs - they're practically the same).

At this point you can say some nonsense syllables to warm up. VAY, VEE, VIE, VOE, VOO. Then use words from Alphecca's video link or just read the V section of a dictionary. If you feel your upper lip trying to move to meet your lower lip, you are doing it wrong. Keep that pencil there so your upper lip can't come down to meet the lower one. Practice V words until you are comfortable leaving your upper lip "out of the action" when you say a V. (Note that if you say an entire word you may have to move your lips together to form other consonants in the word, so your lips will come together around the pencil at those points in the word, but the lips should stay apart for all the Vs in the word.) Eventually you can try it without the pencil, but if you suspect, even slightly, that you still need the pencil, go back to the pencil again to keep that upper lip up. It's a good idea to say groups of F words with the pencil as well, because the F and the V are said the same way with regard to the lip position and you can probably do the F just fine already. Build on that skill to learn the Vs.
___________

As you may have suspected, the W, in contrast, is said by bringing the lips together, but not close enough to close your mouth completely. Leave a little circle open, just like when you say "OO" (as in 'loop' or 'hoop'). If the opening is the wrong shape, for example, like a very flat oval shape, you'll get the wrong sound. Also, if you blow too much air out so that you can feel your lips vibrate a little, you'll get the wrong sound. I suspect you're doing one or both of these things because you're used to doing that in your native language, and that's why your Ws are coming out not-so-English. As khoff has already mentioned above, the W sound is very much like the OO sound, so you might try practicing by substituting OO for W.

Remember to round your lips and don't blow too much air out or you'll start your lips vibrating which will spoil the W sound.

when ~ oo-en
water ~ oo-ater
wish ~ oo-ish
wise ~ oo-ise
way ~ oo-ay

Once you can do them slowly with OO, concentrate on the transition sound between the OO and the rest of the word. That's the W. Try to emphasize it.

when ~ oo-w-en
water ~ oo-w-ater
wish ~ oo-w-ish
wise ~ oo-w-ise
way ~ oo-w-ay

The last step is to leave out the OO and start the word with that gliding sound that makes the W. Practice shortening the OO until it's barely noticeable anymore.

Let us know how you're doing.

CJ

Hrsanei · Answer

Thank you very much CJ.
You are indeed a great teacher.

How to pronounce 'v' and 'w'

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