Confusing Spanish sounds to English speakers

Question

Hi One of the most confusing sounds that I found in Spanish are the ones produced by letters B and V. Sometimes B is read as V and viceversa, in other cases they are read as in English - B as B and V as V. Is there a grammar rule that would explain how to read these letters?

Thanks

Answer 1

The B and the V sound exactly the same in Spanish. If we hear this sound in a Spanish word, we can't tell whether it is written with B or V, unless we already know the word. That's why so many Spanish spekers struggle with these letters in English too.

However, both letters can are pronounced in two different ways, and one of the sounds that you do with either letter, does not exist in English. Here is where the confusion comes from: it is not about the difference between B and V, but between B in some positions, and B in other positions (or V in either position).

Please, read here

Answer 2

Spanish is the only modern Latin derived language that does not make the B/V distinction, but has two sounds for the B (or the V). This confuses a lot of people, don't worry.

Answer 3

Well... you get the same sound with "ph" and "f" and with "gh" (in "cough"), and you use all of them. Your "ci" sounds like your "si", so why two letters? Your "gel" sounds like your "jel", so why two letters? Your "ca" sounds like your "ka", so why two letters? Your "niche" sounds the same if you write it as "nish", and "Michelle" sounds like "Mishel" so why so many different (useless) letters? "Ache" sounds exactly like "ake", so why do you have "ch" and "k" to do the same?

We use b and v for etymological reasons only.

Point well taken, but "niche" does not sound like "nish." In its primary English pronunciation, the "ch" is hard, not soft like "sh." In its secondary (adopted French) pronunciation, the "ch" is soft, but the vowel becomes like a Spanish "i". - hhmdirocco, Aug 9, 2009

Answer 4

"At least we have fixed rules to pronounce our letters."

Sorry if it sounded like I'm showing disrespect to the Spanish alphabet. I'm just a newborn student who is just too curious. BTW, I'm a Romanian speaker and we also do have fixed rules to pronounce our letters. I also speak some French and in both French and Romanian which are Latin languages the letters B and V are read like in English - thus my confusion.

The etymological reasons have a lot of sense.

Answer 5

We have pairs of words that change their mening written with "b" or "v", because many many centuries ago, they were pronounced differently, but their sounds gradually fused, and in the Late Middle Ages, practically no one could differentiate them. "Bello" means handsome, and "vello" hair; "vaca" is cow and "baca" is a luggage rack. Although they sound the same, we maintain the original writing to differentiate them, and in general, for etymological reasons.

At least we have fixed rules to pronounce our letters.

Answer 6

You are right. However "ph" and "gh" are combination of letters, whereas B and V should be fundamentally different since they have their own place of honor in the alphabet. I'm not a philologist anyway so I might be wrong.

Answer 7

Thanks, lazarus

Just wanted to put an extract from the great link that you sent.

"v: It sounds exactly like a Spanish “b”. We cannot tell apart “b” from “v” when we hear words in Spanish"

This is probably a rhetorical question but why would the language need a letter that sounds exactly like another one? Just for consuming all letters of the Latin alphabet?