Someone tell me how to do it. And please, don't say it is like a b, because it isn't.
I want to learn the spanish "V" now!!!
There was some difference between these letters in the beginning but nowadays,the pronunciation of letter v in Spanish is exactly the same as the letter b. For instance words like baca y vaca, bello y vello are pronounced the same way. Spanish is a phonetical language but when it comes to writing there are some problems. For instance: it is: beber and not vever or bever or veber. I'm afraid you'll have to learn how to write them with the help of a dictionary because for its sounds you currently don't have any way to know it. So i expect you now understand how difficult is for spanish-speaking(and i think others,too) people guess how to write a word in english by its pronunciation. You have a better explanation here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writing_system_of_Spanish
I hope this helps.
I hope this helps.
Which countries use "v" more than "b"? I don't disagree, but is there a list or chart for which countries do this?
All countries use the same letters since the language is the same.
And yes in fact 99% of spanish speakers would pronounce both letters exactly the same.
And yes in fact 99% of spanish speakers would pronounce both letters exactly the same.
I am having trouble w/ the v in the middle of vowels, not at the beg. of words. From now on, until I travel to Mexico and develop an accent of my own, I will pronounce the v at the beg. of words as a pure American b, so as not to think about it when speaking.
Words like serviria and reducirian are very, very hard for me though
Words like serviria and reducirian are very, very hard for me though
"Words like serviria and reducirian are very, very hard for me though"
Then you must be a fool. Uh...Serve and reduce are latin derived words used in both languages.
example
Serviria = say = Ser / viri / a (pronounce the word "diarrhea")
Reducirian = say - Re / du / si / ian (pronounce the word "diarrhea")
This analogy helps out a lot of Americans I know. So you're welcome. Now you know how to pronounce and say the conditional tense right.
Then you must be a fool. Uh...Serve and reduce are latin derived words used in both languages.
example
Serviria = say = Ser / viri / a (pronounce the word "diarrhea")
Reducirian = say - Re / du / si / ian (pronounce the word "diarrhea")
This analogy helps out a lot of Americans I know. So you're welcome. Now you know how to pronounce and say the conditional tense right.
In Spanish you don’t need to clarify how to pronounce unknown words, since it has a perfect grammar... so the question was how do you pronounce "serviria"? (I’d serve), it's exactly the same way as it is written. You do NOT pronounce it as "diarrhea" because has a double “RR” and then it'd sound different; "Serviria" and "Servirria" have different sounds (btw the second one isn’t even a real word.)
<<Someone tell me how to do it. And please, don't say it is like a b, because it isn't. >>
Sorry Rizzeck, but it is, it could be or it should be, you make your own choice. Spanish can be that simple phonetically.
Although could be people who make a distinction between both letters they are a tiny minority and even such distinction could sound odd to many hears.
At least I've never heard somebody pronouncing both letters differently in persons from other countries or through any media, at least I can't remember it.
The "standard" way would be like the 'b' in English.
Sorry Rizzeck, but it is, it could be or it should be, you make your own choice. Spanish can be that simple phonetically.
Although could be people who make a distinction between both letters they are a tiny minority and even such distinction could sound odd to many hears.
At least I've never heard somebody pronouncing both letters differently in persons from other countries or through any media, at least I can't remember it.
The "standard" way would be like the 'b' in English.
I think the poster meant that it isn't like an English "b". Spanish "b" and "v" are indeed the same sound, but it isn't always like an English "b".
<<Spanish is a phonetical language but when it comes to writing there are some problems. For instance: it is: beber and not vever or bever or veber.>>
Actually, the first two consonant sounds in "beber" are different. [be"Be4]
<<The "standard" way would be like the 'b' in English>>
Again (not surprisingly) I disagree with Aldo. If you pronounce every instance of "v" and "b" as /b/ the effect will be clearly foreign. If you want to pronounce Spanish as native speakers do, you need two different pronunciations: [b] (a bilabial plosive, in "vaca" "viento" "cambio" - this is similar to the English /b/) and [B] (a bilabial approximant, notably different from English /b/ between vowels in words like "pavo" "llevo", etc.).
Actually, the first two consonant sounds in "beber" are different. [be"Be4]
<<The "standard" way would be like the 'b' in English>>
Again (not surprisingly) I disagree with Aldo. If you pronounce every instance of "v" and "b" as /b/ the effect will be clearly foreign. If you want to pronounce Spanish as native speakers do, you need two different pronunciations: [b] (a bilabial plosive, in "vaca" "viento" "cambio" - this is similar to the English /b/) and [B] (a bilabial approximant, notably different from English /b/ between vowels in words like "pavo" "llevo", etc.).
Ok, again I insist, there is not an identical equivalence between Spanish and English to give an exact referecence between two sounds.
Always there will be somehow a difference, subtle or not, so I recommend to hear a "standard" media to have an idea of how it could be pronounced.
If it's hard to explain a sound through a written way and you can tell us that the letter "B" is not exactly the same sound in English, for sure I can tell you that the "B" in Spanish is not like the "V" (or "W") in English for most native Spanish speakers.
Always there will be somehow a difference, subtle or not, so I recommend to hear a "standard" media to have an idea of how it could be pronounced.
If it's hard to explain a sound through a written way and you can tell us that the letter "B" is not exactly the same sound in English, for sure I can tell you that the "B" in Spanish is not like the "V" (or "W") in English for most native Spanish speakers.