Minimal pair · French (France)
French /b/ vs /v//b/ / /v/
Learn to hear the difference between b and v in French words.
Practice these sounds/b/
A voiced lip closure
A brief stop made with the lips. Its natural realization depends on the language and sound context.
As inbeau
/v/
Voiced lip-and-teeth friction
A continuous, voiced consonant. Compare it with the other beginning in the pair.
As inveau
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR
A small change.
A different word.
Beau/veau, bain/vain and bile/ville contrast /b/ with /v/ at the start. Both can be voiced; the stop versus continuous-friction difference matters.
Listen for the target sound in each word.
A common trap
A general voiced-versus-voiceless rule does not solve this contrast. The same letters may represent different categories or patterns in your first language.
Sound examples
Tap to hear each wordbeau
/bo/beautiful; handsomebain
/bɛ̃/bathbile
/bil/bilebout
/bu/end; tipbu
/by/drunk, past participle of drinkbanc
/bɑ̃/benchbon
/bɔ̃/goodbasse
/bas/low, feminineveau
/vo/calf; vealvain
/vɛ̃/vain; futileville
/vil/town; cityvous
/vu/you, formal or pluralvu
/vy/seenvin
/vɛ̃/winevite
/vit/quickly15 words. Words stay hidden during practice unless you choose to reveal them.