Spanish Orthography and Phonetics

Orthography

• The letters "b" and "v" are distinct in Spanish orthography.
• The letter "b" represents the voiced bilabial plosive /b/.
• The letter "v" represents the voiced labiodental fricative /v/.

Syntax

• In Spanish, the letters "b" and "v" are used interchangeably in some contexts, especially in informal writing.
• However, in formal writing and in most dialects, "b" and "v" are used distinctively.
• The Royal Spanish Academy recommends using "b" and "v" correctly, according to their phonetic values.

Phonetics

• The phoneme /b/ is a voiced bilabial plosive, produced by blocking the airflow with both lips.
• The phoneme /v/ is a voiced labiodental fricative, produced by directing airflow through the teeth and lips.
• The main phonetic difference between /b/ and /v/ is the place of articulation: lips for /b/ and teeth and lips for /v/.

Pronunciation

• In most Spanish dialects, the pronunciation of "b" and "v" is similar, with a tendency to merge the two phonemes into a single voiced bilabial fricative [β].
• However, in some dialects, especially in Latin America, the distinction between /b/ and /v/ is maintained.

Dialectal Variations

• In some Latin American countries, such as Chile and Peru, the distinction between /b/ and /v/ is maintained, and the letters are pronounced as in their phonetic values.
• In other countries, such as Argentina and Uruguay, the merger of /b/ and /v/ into [β] is more common.
• In Spain, the merger of /b/ and /v/ into [β] is also common, but there is a tendency to maintain the distinction in formal speech.

Learn about the correct usage of the letters 'b' and 'v' in Spanish, including their phonetic values, pronunciation, and dialectal variations.