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V vs W minimal pairs

V is made with the top teeth touching the lower lip and the cords buzzing; W uses no teeth at all, just rounded lips gliding into the vowel. Speakers of German, Hindi and Russian often merge them. Watch your mouth in a mirror: if your teeth never touch your lip, you said W.

Accent

15 words · intermediate · your accent and voice are remembered across the site. More options on the settings page.

The words

vest
west
vine
wine
veal
wheel
vary
wary
verse
worse
vet
wet
viper
wiper
invite

More lists like this

S vs Z sounds
Sip or zip, price or prize. The only difference is voicing, and it changes the word completely.
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Number and date words
Thirteen or thirty? Fifteen or fifty? The stress is the only clue. Hear the pairs contrasted.
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Long vs short vowel pairs
Ship or sheep, full or fool, pull or pool. Hear the tense and lax vowel pairs side by side.
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Voiced TH words
The buzzing TH in this, that and mother. Feel your vocal cords vibrate on every one of these.
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Voiceless TH words
The soft breathy TH in think, three and mouth. No vocal cord buzz, just airflow over the tongue.
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R vs L minimal pairs
Rice or lice, right or light. Hear the R and L contrast that trips up many learners, pair by pair.
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Keep practising

Browse every practice list or the word index, hear two accents back to back on Compare, or test your ear with the listening quiz.

To read the rules behind these words, see the pronunciation guides — including silent letters, word stress and American vs British. Or hear each accent on its own page: American, British, Australian.