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The German Consonant 'v' Includes sound files!

Click here to listen to the soundsIn most instances the German consonant 'v' is pronounced in the same way as the letter 'f' in the English words 'fish' and 'face'. Although remembering to do so often requires a little practice, the articulation of the sound itself is quite straightforward. In both languages, the upper front teeth and the lower lip come together to form a narrowing through which the air passes with a trace of a hiss.

It is called a 'fricative' consonant, which means that is articulated by forcing air through a narrow gap in the vocal tract in such a way that friction is audible. Click either here or on the sound icon on the left to hear eight German words which all begin with the letter 'v' - but whose initial sound is actually pronounced as an /f/.

viel
(much)
   vier
(four)
Viertel
(quarter)
   von
(from)
Vogel
(bird)
   Vater
(father)
Volk
(people)
   verlieren
(to lose)


It is therefore necessary to distinguish very clearly between:

  • The letter 'v' which is actually pronounced as an /f/ phoneme.
  • The phoneme /v/ which represents the sound made by the German letter 'w' (in words such as 'Wein', 'weiß' etc.)

Click here to listen to the soundsIn some German words however, the letter 'v' is pronounced as the phoneme /v/. These words include a number of items that are used very frequently in German. Click either here or on the sound icon on the left to hear six words where the German letter 'v' is spoken in the same manner as the English letter 'v':

Klavier
(piano)
   Vase
(vase)
November
(November)
   Universität
(university)
privat
(private)
   Verb
(verb)


Weiter! How to pronounce the German consonant 'w'


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