Technique
How to say it
- 1
For /v/, lightly place your top front teeth on your lower lip and push vibrating air continuously through the contact.
- 2
For /b/, press both lips firmly together to stop the airflow completely before releasing it with a short, voiced burst.
- 3
Keep your vocal cords vibrating for both consonants, but focus on friction for /v/ versus sudden release for /b/.
- 4
Practise transitioning slowly between lip-to-teeth contact and lip-to-lip contact so your mouth muscles build muscle memory.
7 pairs
Minimal pairs
Say each pair aloud. If the two words sound the same when you record yourself, slow down and go back to the steps above.
- vote/boat
- very/berry
- vest/best
- van/ban
- vow/bow
- curve/curb
- marvel/marble
12 sentences
Practice lines from IELTS-style answers
- 1
I believe public transport is definitely a better value for daily travel.
/b/ in believe, better; /v/ in value, travel
- 2
We booked a vibrant boutique hotel right above the busy harbour.
/b/ in booked, boutique, above, busy, harbour; /v/ in vibrant, above
- 3
My brother loves visiting vibrant coastal towns during his summer break.
/b/ in brother, break; /v/ in visiting, vibrant
- 4
I have been trying to improve my basic budgeting habits this year.
/v/ in have, improve; /b/ in been, basic, budgeting, habits
- 5
Both volunteers gave valuable feedback about improving the local environment.
/b/ in both, feedback, about; /v/ in volunteers, valuable, environment
- 6
Taking a brief holiday by the beach is a lovely way to revive myself.
/b/ in brief, by, beach; /v/ in lovely, revive
- 7
Our business aims to provide reliable services for everyone in the valley.
/b/ in business, reliable; /v/ in provide, services, everyone, valley
- 8
I bought a lovely velvet bag from an independent boutique in Bristol.
/b/ in bought, bag, boutique, Bristol; /v/ in lovely, velvet
- 9
Electric vehicles will become widely available across big cities before long.
/v/ in vehicles, available; /b/ in become, available, big, before
- 10
Living abroad gives people a broad perspective on diverse global cultures.
/v/ in living, gives, diverse; /b/ in abroad, broad, global
- 11
My favourite hobby involves browsing vintage books in second-hand bookshops.
/v/ in favourite, involves, vintage; /b/ in hobby, browsing, books, bookshops
- 12
They built a massive solar farm to provide green energy for nearby villages.
/b/ in built, nearby; /v/ in provide, villages
Say it in a real answer
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Common mistakes
- →Pressing both lips together when attempting /v/, which makes words like 'vest' sound like 'best'.
- →Letting air leak continuously on /b/, resulting in a soft fricative instead of a firm, clean plosive.
- →Failing to maintain the distinction in rapid combinations like 'very big' or 'have been'.
In the exam: Pay close attention to high-frequency evaluative vocabulary such as 'valuable', 'best', and 'believe' so your examiner never has to guess your intended meaning.
Frequently asked questions
How much does pronunciation count in IELTS Speaking?+
A quarter of your Speaking band. Examiners judge how easy you are to understand and how well you use features like stress, rhythm and intonation, not whether you sound British or American.
Do I need a native accent for Band 8?+
No. An accent is fine at every band. What matters is that individual sounds are clear, stress falls on the right syllables and your intonation helps the listener follow you.
How should I practise these lines?+
Read each line slowly, then at natural speed, then record yourself and compare. Say the sentences in a real answer next, because examiners hear your pronunciation while you think, not while you read.
Keep practising
More consonant sounds practice
- ch versus j (cheap / jeep)
- Consonant clusters at the end of words (texts, months)
- Consonant clusters at the start of words (street, spring)
- f versus p (fast / past)
- Final consonants that learners drop (want, hand, desk)
- h at the start of words (hair / air)
- r versus l (right / light)
- s versus sh (seat / sheet)
- sh versus ch (share / chair)
- Silent letters (knee, listen, foreign)
- Silent r after vowels in British English (car, work)
- th versus d and z (they / day / zay)
- th versus s and t (thank / sank / tank)
- The ng sound /ŋ/ (sing, thinking)
- The voiced th sound /ð/ (this, mother)
- The voiceless th sound /θ/ (think, month)
- The /ʒ/ sound (measure, decision)
- v versus w (vest / west)
- z versus s (rise / rice)
- All 59 pronunciation sets
- Part 1 topics
- Part 2 cue cards
- Part 3 questions
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