Tsaord From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 1208 times:
I'm using the Barron's Mastering Spanish Level 1 based on FSI. Hopefully I can learn to speak and understand spanish fluently. I have a question that keeps bothering me. Whether you are from Mexico, Spain, Puerto Rico, or another spanish speaking country how do you pronounce your V's? This book with 12 cds based on Spanish spoken in latin america says pronounce them like a B. A lady told me it just sounds like a B because of the way it comes out when they speak. BUT, this lady I work with said we dont pronounce our V's like B's its actually sounds like a V. So which is it? For the spanish speakers out there is it pronounced both was depending on where you go?
I want to go to Spain next year and Mexico. The Spainish I'm learning isn't Castillian Spainish but more so Spainish spoken in Latin America. FSI makes references to Spains dialect at times.
One more thing, some people who a native spanish speakers have told me Puerto Ricans speak buttchered spanish. So I guess its a very different dialect then?
Derico From Argentina, joined Dec 1999, 4233 posts, RR: 13 Reply 1, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 1190 times:
The difference in the sound of a 'v' and a 'b' is not really significant and much less to affect how people will understand you. You won't insult someone (like it may happen in English), if you slightly mispronounce a vowel.
The 'v' sound has lost a lot of strength in spoken Spanish. It depends on the country. I don't know about the countries you are going, but Argentina has different accents and pronounciations within itself beause it is a large country, many provinces have their own accent. In many the 'v' is pronounced just like a 'b', in a few others you can tell the 'v' is harder.
My internet was not shut down, the internet has shut me down
FutureUApilot From United States of America, joined May 2004, 1365 posts, RR: 4 Reply 2, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 1189 times:
I'm not fluent in Spanish by any means, but my teachers always pronounce the V with a B sound, but when we say it with a V sound they don't mind one bit. My first spanish phrase i learned: Quiero la camisa, por favor.
AA777 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 2471 posts, RR: 31 Reply 3, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 1182 times:
Some of it depends on the word. Some words tend to be pronounced with a V sound, others more with a B. To me, its usually somewhere in-between the two. Try it- try to cross the sound of B and V, it can be done...
for instance.... yo vivo can be said sort of like.... 'yo bibo'... BUT, its neither a hard V or a hard B sound.... confusing I know. Best thing to do is just to say the V sound and make it not too heavy- when you make a V, you bite down on your bottom lip a bit. Try to do this less, and the sound will come out more naturally.
PSA727 From United States of America, joined Feb 2006, 972 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 1180 times:
I think it's the other way around.
I always hear, at least to my ear, Vs pronounced like Vs, but
Bs pronounced like Vs...and this more with Latin American Spanish
as opposed to Iberian Spanish. For example:
boca...voca
basura...vasura
batata...vatata
barrio...varrio
(in fact one local gang that calls itself Barrio Carlos Locos would always
spraypaint "VCL" all over the place. I guess they weren't in school when
spelling was being taught).
As for Puerto Ricans being hard to understand, add Venezuelans to that
list also. They speak way too rapidly for me to comprehend them. They
also tend to chop of the last syllable of longer words.
Tsaord From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 1156 times:
Interesting! i guess ill just keep at it. my goal is fluency and nothing less! I think i am starting to get the pronunciation between b and v! i think ill just try to say something in between the two words!
PSA727 From United States of America, joined Feb 2006, 972 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 1150 times:
Quoting AA777 (Reply 3): yo vivo can be said sort of like.... 'yo bibo'...
Isn't "yo bibo" "I drink" in English?
I grew up with Spanish spoken all around me by family members, and
quite honestly, the "V" being pronounced like a "B" never happened.
Luisde8cd From Venezuela, joined Aug 2004, 2516 posts, RR: 34 Reply 7, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 1147 times:
Quoting PSA727 (Reply 4):
As for Puerto Ricans being hard to understand, add Venezuelans to that
list also. They speak way too rapidly for me to comprehend them
Quoting Tsaord (Thread starter): ne more thing, some people who a native spanish speakers have told me Puerto Ricans speak buttchered spanish.
Puerto Ricans alongside Cubans and Dominicans speak Caribbean Spanish which is easily to recognize because they pronounce all R's like L's.
Please = Por Favor
Por favor in Caribbean Spanish is pronunciated: "Pol Favol"
We Venezuelans might speak fast but our Spanish ain't as bad as Puerto Rican or Caribbean spanish
Saludos desde Caracas,
Luis
Viasa we miss you!. Good times will return after Chavez is gone!
Marambio From Argentina, joined Oct 2004, 1158 posts, RR: 28 Reply 8, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 1146 times:
It really depends on the accent. For instance, while in Chile most people do make a difference between B and V, in Argentina that never happens - unless you are from Mendoza, a province that shares borders with Chile.
Quoting PSA727 (Reply 6): Isn't "yo bibo" "I drink" in English?
I drink = yo bebo
Yo vivo = I live
Saludos,
Marambio
Aerolíneas Argentinas - La Argentina que levanta vuelo.
Tsaord From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 1133 times:
So the question for me is how should I pronounce it to make sure people understand me when I speak!? Aside from my pronunication which I am trying to perfect, I want to make sure I'm understood and I can understand other speakers. Differenct dialects.....Maybe I will just stick with how FSI says pronounce it. Like Vaya=go would be Baya.
Acjflyer From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 426 posts, RR: 7 Reply 10, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 1119 times:
I lived in Spain for a couple of years and one of the first things you will realize is that Spanish is spoken differently in all countries. While in Spain i learned that the 'v' is pronounced quite close to the 'b', but the trick is not to make it sound like you're a yankee. For example you don't want to say volar (fly) with a hard B sound but when you let it flow off your tounge it will come off sounding a bit like a 'b'. It will come naturally and it will sound fine.
KaiGywer From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 12029 posts, RR: 43 Reply 11, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 1076 times:
Tsaord From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 12, posted (7 years 1 month 1 week 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 1068 times:
My new book came today! I got it off Amazon 501 Spanish Verbs fully conjugated in all tenses! I'm going to study one word a day while still studying my level 1 spanish and listening to the cds! I just need not get discouraged! I hate when I forget certain things but hey I'm learning a whole new langauge.
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