How to Pronounce the V and F Sounds in American English

Some Vietnamese learners find English /v/ and /f/ challenging, especially at the ends of words. Vietnamese pronunciation varies by region and speaker. Northern Vietnamese generally uses /v/ for the letter “v”; many Southern varieties use /j/, similar to English “y.” Vietnamese “ph” commonly represents /f/.

Learners whose Vietnamese variety uses /j/ for “v” may need extra practice with English /v/. Vietnamese has final consonants, but /v/ and /f/ are not usual native syllable-final sounds, so these endings can need extra attention in words such as have and life.

In American English, /v/ and /f/ require a very specific, physical mouth position. If you do not use your teeth and lips correctly, you cannot make the sound. Let's learn exactly how to physically produce these sounds and practice them extensively.

The Mechanics: Teeth on Lip

Both /f/ and /v/ are "labiodental fricatives." That is a fancy linguistic term that tells you exactly how to make them:

1. Labiodental: This means "lip" and "teeth". To make these sounds, bring your top front teeth gently against or very close to your bottom lip, leaving room for air to pass.
2. Fricative: This means "friction". You blow a steady stream of air through the gap between your teeth and your lip.

Step 1: The /f/ sound. Rest your upper front teeth lightly against or close to your lower lip without biting down. Blow air out continuously. Do not use your voice (no vibration in your throat). You should feel a steady breeze on your hand if you hold it in front of your mouth. This is /f/.

Step 2: The /v/ sound. Keep your mouth in the exact same "teeth on lip" position. Now, turn on your vocal cords and make a buzzing sound in your throat. Your lip should feel like it is vibrating or tickling. This is /v/.

The main contrast is voicing: /f/ is voiceless and /v/ is voiced. In natural speech, /v/ can be partly devoiced, especially at the end of a word; the preceding vowel is often longer before /v/ than before /f/.

Mastering the Final Sounds

If final /v/ and /f/ are difficult for you, practice keeping a brief, audible fricative at the end of the word. Start slowly, then work toward a natural duration without adding a vowel after the consonant.

• If you omit /v/ in have, the word can be harder to recognize.
• If you say life without the /f/, it sounds like "lie".

For more on why dropping these endings causes misunderstandings, read our guide on the 5 sounds Vietnamese speakers struggle with most and final consonants.

Extensive Practice Lists

Read the following lists aloud. Use gentle teeth-and-lip positioning for /v/ and /f/; keep your jaw relaxed and avoid forcing contact.

Practice the /v/ sound (feel the vibration!)

• very
• voice
• visit
• value
• view
• vote
• video
• village
• vacation
• vegetable
• have
• love
• give
• live
• move
• leave
• believe
• improve
• arrive
• receive
• seven
• never
• over
• even
• every

Practice the /f/ sound (just air, no voice)

• family
• first
• find
• feel
• fact
• face
• food
• friend
• fresh
• future
• off
• if
• life
• half
• safe
• wife
• knife
• leaf
• belief
• chief
• after
• before
• office
• often
• effort

Additional Tips for Vietnamese Learners

Short, regular practice can help you remember these phrases and sounds. Vietnamese is tonal, and its rhythm differs from American English, where stressed syllables often stand out and unstressed syllables may be reduced. These are tendencies, not strict timing rules; focus on the words emphasized in each example.

Read the examples aloud as well as silently. Speaking practice helps you coordinate your tongue, lips, and jaw and use the phrases more comfortably in conversation.

Record yourself on your phone and listen back. Compare your recording with clear American English examples, then choose one sound or phrase to work on. Improvement takes practice and varies by learner.

Listen closely to clear American English examples. The /v/ sound may be brief in words such as "every" or "seven," and mouth movements can be hard to see. Keep your teeth-and-lip position gentle and your jaw relaxed. Try shadowing a short recording: listen, pause, repeat, and compare your sound rather than trying to copy every visible movement exactly.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my jaw hurt when I practice this?

Do not practice through jaw pain. Stop, relax your jaw, and use a lighter teeth-and-lip position when you try again. Practice should feel comfortable; seek advice from a qualified health professional if pain persists.

Do I really have to bite my lip that hard?

No, do not bite hard. Your teeth should gently rest on the inner edge of your bottom lip. If you bite too hard, the air cannot flow out, and you won't make the fricative sound.

What if I mix them up?

Mixing up /f/ and /v/ can change the word, as in leaf versus leave. Context may help, but practice both the final consonant and the voicing contrast. Avoid adding a vowel after either sound.

For more details on English sounds, look at our phoneme chart. Practice these examples with Ledoly's American teachers.