Pronunciation of a "v"

Question

I can't get my head around the pronunciation of the letter "v"in a Spanish word. When should you pronounce a "v" like a "b" and when should pronounce it as a "v" as in The English sound.

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Answer 1

The following should be valid for much of Mexico, Colombia, and Spain (as far as I'm aware):

B and V are basically the same most of the time. Speakers cannot distinguish the two without learning beforehand if a word contains a "b" or a "v" (which leads to common spelling mistakes online like "governado" and "bestirse").

B and V make the sound \b\ (the English "b") at the beginning of a phrase, after a pause, or after a nasal ("n", "m", and "ñ")

In all other scenarios, B and V make the sound \?\ (hard to explain but this fantastic video (made by a Colombian for context) should help demonstrate the sound). I've been told that the sound is "lighter" (more airy) in Mexico than in the other two regions as well.

This is something that does vary a bit by region and education level.

Answer 2

Always like a B. B and V are the same in Spanish.

Answer 3

Fantastic Link