Unit 14: Labiodental Consonants
Labiodental fricatives: upper teeth on lower lip, with air friction.
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Unit 14: Labiodental Fricatives /f/ and /v/
This unit introduces the two labiodental fricatives in English: /f/ and /v/. They share the same place of articulation but differ in voicing.
Mouth shape:
- The upper front teeth lightly rest on the inside of the lower lip.
- Air is pushed steadily through the narrow gap, creating audible friction.
- The lips do not close completely.
Voicing contrast:
- /f/ is voiceless — only air friction, no vocal cord vibration (fan, fish, off).
- /v/ is voiced — vocal cords vibrate at the same time as the friction (van, very, give).
Key tips:
- Keep contact light; pressing teeth too hard kills the airflow.
- Sustain the friction — these are fricatives, not stops. You should be able to hold fffff or vvvvv for several seconds.
- Pay close attention to final /f/ and /v/ — they are often the difference between words like leaf and leave.
Master the position first, then practice toggling voicing on and off without moving your mouth.