The /v/ as in VAN /v/

One of the most common consonants in American English. Hear it in van, live, very, voice.

IPA /v/ Respell v Category Consonant
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The /v/ consonant, the sound at the start of van and voice, is made by resting your top front teeth on the inner edge of your bottom lip (right where the wet part meets the dry part) and buzzing your vocal cords while pushing air through. It shares the exact same mouth position as the /f/ in fan, but with the voice turned on. Getting a clean buzz is what makes a /v/ sound casually American: speakers of Spanish often swap /v/ for a /b/ (making very sound like berry), while Mandarin speakers usually substitute a /w/ (making it sound like wary). In American English, the vowel right before a final /v/ stretches out, so the 'o' in love and the 'i' in five ring noticeably longer than they would before an /f/.

How to make it

Three small adjustments.

Get them right and the sound takes care of itself.

Lift your bottom lip so its inner edge (where the wet part meets the dry part) touches the very bottom of your top front teeth. Add vocal cord vibration as you blow air through.

Mouth position for /v/ in van

Mouth shape

/v/ as in van

Tongue

Should stay relaxed so air can push through easily.

Lips

The bottom lip lifts and its inner edge (right where the wet part meets the dry part) contacts the very bottom of the top front teeth. The top lip lifts slightly to get out of the way.

Quick tips

Two things to remember.

Don't roll your bottom lip tightly inward; just let your top teeth rest on the inner edge of the lip.

Same mouth position as F (/f/) but with vocal cord vibration.

Hear it in words

16 everyday words.

Tap any word for its full breakdown — every reduction, every flap-T.

van
VAN
view
VYOO
voice
VOYS
vine
VAHYN
vet
VEHT
vault
VAHLT
vague
VAYG
drive
DRAHYV
dive
DAHYV
five
FAHYV
save
SAYV
leave
LEEV
live
LIHV
gave
GAYV
serve
SURV
twelve
TWEHLV
Hear it in sentences

In real conversation.

5 short sentences where this sound shows up. Tap to play; click the title for the full breakdown.

The view of the valley was very vivid.

dhuh VYOO uhv dhuh VA·lee wuhz VEH·ree VIH·vuhd.

Evaluate the level of the event every evening.

uh·VAL·yoo·ayt dhuh LEH·vuhl uhv dhee ih·VEHNT EHV·ree EEV·nuhng.

Believe in the validity of the vast survey.

buh·LEEV ihn dhuh vuh·LIH·duh·tee uhv dhuh VAST SUR·vay.

Never leave the heavy stove in the river.

NEH·ver LEEV dhuh HEH·vee STOHV uhn dhuh RIH·ver.

The drive to survive keeps the mind alive.

dhuh DRAHYV tuh ser·VAHYV KEEPS dhuh MAHYND uh·LAHYV.
FAQ

Common questions about /v/.

What is the correct mouth shape for the American /v/ sound?
Lift your bottom lip so its inner edge (where the wet part meets the dry part) lightly touches the bottom of your top front teeth. Keep your top lip slightly raised and out of the way. Once your teeth and lip are touching, push air through that gap while vibrating your vocal cords to create a steady buzz. Don't curl your bottom lip inward; the contact should happen right on the inner edge of the lip.
Why do I accidentally say "berry" instead of "very"?
You are likely pressing both lips together instead of using your teeth and bottom lip. In Spanish, Korean, and Tagalog, /v/ and /b/ often blur together into a two-lip shape. To fix this and nail the American /v/, make sure your top lip stays completely out of the way. Force your top teeth to rest on the inner edge of your bottom lip before you start buzzing. With that one physical anchor in place, it's hard to fall back into the berry shape.
How is the American /v/ different from a /w/ sound?
The /v/ requires physical contact between your teeth and lip, while the /w/ uses no contact at all. For /w/ as in water, your lips round into a tight circle and push forward. For /v/ as in van, your top teeth rest gently on the inner edge of your bottom lip to create friction. If you're a German or Hindi speaker, you'll naturally merge these two. Practice alternating vine and wine, vest and west, in front of a mirror. Your top teeth should be clearly visible resting on your bottom lip for the V words, and stay completely out of sight for the W words.

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