pronunciation.b-v
B and v: the same sound
Spanish b and v are pronounced identically — hard [b] after pause or n/m (vamos, un beso), soft lips-barely-touching [β] between vowels (la vaca, saber). No English v exists.
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Explanation
Teeth never touch lip: vino starts like 'bino'. The soft version between vowels is the giveaway of native flow: una bebida — both b's are breezy [β].
Spelling, not sound, distinguishes them; even natives ask ¿con be larga o ve corta? (Latin American names for b/v). Common doubt words: tuvo/tubo sound identical.
The single most useful habit is keeping the lips from fully closing between vowels: in saber, beber, or la vaca the lips barely brush, giving the soft [β] that signals native flow. Because the two letters are identical in sound, spelling is pure memorization — natives themselves disambiguate aloud with ¿con be larga o ve corta?
Examples
We drank a Bolivian wine.
Region: global
Is it spelled with b?
Region: global
The cow drinks water; knowing how to spell 'tuvo' or 'tubo' is another story.
Region: global