Pronounciation: Spanish b’s & v’s

Question

From previous Q&As; on this subject I understand that there is no such thing as a ‘vee’ in Spanish and that vivo should be pronounced ‘bee-boh’.

But if this is the case, then why is the SD dictionary showing ‘vee’ in the pronunciation guide? e.g. ver = ‘verr’; vivo = ‘veé-vo’; cerveza = ‘ther-vay’-thah’ etc.

Answer 1

My Bolivian friend assures us in our weekly conversation sessions that in Bolivia the "B's" and "V's" are pronounced as in English so there is a distinction between the 2 there. As I listen to different native speakers who seem to pronounce them both like a "B" I also hear a "V" sound now and then, but can't yet discern a pattern.

One thing you need to remember is that the Spanish sound does not have the force that the English B does. To approximate it place your lips gently (not stiff) together and let the sound come out with a gentle puff of air.

My advice is to either say them as we do in English (but more gently) or say them all like B. In any case it will not make you unintelligible.

I voted you up, and I salute you for that answer, Sir! Were you a teacher? - Raja-jani, Aug 5, 2013

Thanks for that excellent answer, Jubilado. :D - Findy, Aug 5, 2013

I was a teacher long ago. I do teach English to private students. I want to teach Spanish, and I continue to learn Spanish and French. Thank you, 1Rajaji and "Namaste". - Jubilado, Aug 5, 2013

Many thanks for this. I was sure I was hearing 'vee' sounds! I am now practising a 'soft' bee/vee sound as per your instructions. - J_G_Duff, Aug 5, 2013

Answer 2

I'm gonna take a crack at this one, from the standpoint of copyright. Each of the entries in the SD translator is credited to a different source, i.e.

Velazquez® Spanish and English Dictionary. Copyright © 2007 by Velazquez® Press. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited

Collins Complete Spanish Electronic Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

I'm assuming that since the sources are from around the world, the pronunciations will be slightly different with each Spanish-speaking country - and since it's a quote, it needs to be left how it was in the original source.

Answer 3

Some people will some won't.

Some people will pronounce all of them as B's other's as V's and some will mix them up without concordance.

I was explained while in school, in Chile, about how they should be pronounced. (during Castellano classes, mind you)

I started doing it when I was in the US.

:-D

Answer 4

It's a mistake, there's only one sound for those two letters in Spanish. Someonbe wh pronounces botar and votar differently just shows how influenced they are by another language.