French b and v: close your lips for beau, use your teeth for veau
Compare beau/veau, bas/va and boire/voir. See how your lips make b and v, then practise choosing useful words in short French sentences.
In short
For French /b/, close both lips briefly, then release: beau /bo/. For /v/, bring your lower lip lightly towards your upper teeth and let air continue through: veau /vo/. Both sounds are voiced; the key difference is how the air leaves your mouth.
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How do you pronounce b and v in French?
b · /b/both lips close
Focus: A brief stop, followed by release.
Close → release → vowel
Le paysage est beau.
The landscape is beautiful.
Je voudrais boire.
I’d like a drink.
v · /v/lower lip and upper teeth
Focus: Air passes through a narrow gap.
Light contact → continuous airflow
Le veau est près de sa mère.
The calf is near its mother.
Je voudrais voir la carte.
I’d like to see the menu.
Try a gentle, sustained /v/, then a brief /b/ release. The lower lip and upper teeth work together for /v/; both lips meet for /b/. Keep the contact light. Increasing the volume will not turn one consonant into the other.
| With b | With v | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| beau /bo/ | veau /vo/ | beautiful / calf |
| bas /ba/ | va /va/ | low / goes |
| boire /bwaʁ/ | voir /vwaʁ/ | to drink / to see |
Words to picture and say
Find:
At the café: a drink and a menu
- Serveuse
Bonjour ! Vous voulez boire quelque chose ?
Hello! Would you like something to drink?
- Client
Oui, un verre d’eau, s’il vous plaît.
Yes, a glass of water, please.
- Client
Et je voudrais voir la carte.
And I’d like to see the menu.
The verbs boire and voir keep the same /waʁ/ ending. At the start of boire, your lips close; at the start of voir, the air keeps passing. The picture words give you two more examples of each movement: bouteille, bol, veau, verre.