/b/ — the /b/ sound
the /b/ sound
Consonants · Plosives
This sound hasn't been scored yet.
How to make it
Like /p/, but voiced, with a softer release.
Pairs with /p/ — same mouth shape, only the voicing differs.
Watch a native speaker say it
See the mouth and tongue before you record — hearing a sound rarely tells you where the tongue goes.
Rachel's English · English Sounds - B[b] and P[p] Consonants - How to make the B and P Consonants Watch on YouTube
More videos
Words with this sound
Tap the speaker to hear a native speaker say it.
be
/bi/
bee
/biː/
buy
/baɪ/
by
/baɪ/
bye
/baɪ/
able
/ebl̩/
back
/bæk/
bad
/bæd/
bag
/bæɡ/
bake
/beɪk/
ball
/bɔl/
bath
/bæθ/
Minimal pairs
Two words that differ by exactly one sound. Listen until you can tell them apart, then say them yourself.
- b
buy
/baɪ/
ppie
/paɪ/
- b
base
/beɪs/
vvase
/veɪs/
- b
be
/bi/
ttea
/tiː/
- b
bad
/bæd/
ddad
/dæd/
- b
bake
/beɪk/
kcake
/keɪk/
- b
boat
/boʊt/
ggoat
/ɡoʊt/
- b
ball
/bɔl/
ffall
/fɔːl/
- b
bird
/bˈɜːd/
θthird
/θɚd/
Test yourself on this sound
Read these 8 words in one recording. The AI scores every sound and tells you whether your /b/ came out right.