For Bengali speakers
vine or wine?
Indian-language speakers often merge /v/ and /w/ into a single labiodental approximant.
The sound in “vine”
/v/
as in van /væn/
Like /f/ but vocal cords on.
- Tongue:
- tip-down
- Lips:
- neutral
- Voicing:
- voiced
The sound in “wine”
/w/
as in we /wi/
Tight lip rounding, tongue high-back.
- Tongue:
- back-velar
- Lips:
- rounded
- Voicing:
- voiced
Hear the difference
Tap each word. Every pair differs by exactly one sound — if both sound the same when you say them, this is your pair to drill.
Do you mix up vine and wine?
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