The sound /b/ voiced, bilabial, stop consonant

  • Press your lips together.
  • Forcefully pull your lips apart while pushing air out in a short burst.
  • Your vocal cords should vibrate.

Spelling:

  • “b”  – break, lab
  • “be” - robe, tube
  • “bb” – bubble, robbing

 

LISTEN
 
Download english phonetics exercises audio
b_listen.mp3
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/b/…/b/…/b/…/b/…

buy…brain…lab…table...
 

The sound /b/ can be in these clusters:
  • Beginning of a Syllable
  •  
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b_initial_clusters.mp3
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/bl/ ("bl") - blue
/br/ ("br") - break
 
  • End of a Syllable
 
Download english phonetics exercises audio
b_final_clusters.mp3
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/bz/ (“bs”) - cabs
/bd/ (“bed” / "bbed") - cubed, rubbed
/lb/ ("lb") - bulb
/lbz/ (“lbs”) - bulbs
/rb/ ("rb") - garb
/rbz/ (“rbs”) - orbs
/rbd/ (“rbed”) - barbed

 

COMPARE
 
Compare /b/ with /v/:
 
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compare_b-v_1.mp3
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/b/…/v/…/b/…/v/…/b/…/v/…

These are both voiced consonants that are pronounced using the lips. However, /b/ is a bilabial stop and /v/ is a labio-dental fricative. When you pronounce /b/, your teeth should not touch your lips and the air in your mouth should be stopped.
 

You can hear the difference between /b/ and /v/ in these words.
Download english phonetics exercises audio
compare_b-v_words.mp3
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1. A. boat, B. vote
2. A. bury, B. very
3. A. dub, B. dove
4. A. curb, B. curve
5. A. lobes, B. loaves
6. A. rebel, B. revel
 
 

Now, compare /b/ with /m/:
   
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compare_b-m_1.mp3
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/b/…/m/…/b/…/m/…/b/…/m/…

These are both voiced bilabial consonants. However, /b/ is a stop and /m/ is a nasal. When you pronounce /b/, air should come through your mouth but not your nose.
 

You can hear the difference between /b/ and /m/ in these words.
Download english phonetics exercises audio
compare_b-m_words.mp3
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1. A. bake, B. make
2. A. bug, B. mug
3. A. sub, B. sum
4. A. robes, B. roams
5. A. chubby, B. chummy
6. A. unbarred, B. unmarred
 
 
 
PRACTICE 
 
Listen and repeat these words:
Download english phonetics exercises audio
words_with_-b-.mp3
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1. best
2. burn
3. busy
4. brain
5. blow
6. broom
7. bless
8. bottle
9. cab
10. rob
 
11. curb
12. bulb
13. about
14. mobile
15. stability
16. subtitle
17. bubble
18. abbreviate
19. barbecue
20. substitute
 

Now, practice /b/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.
Download english phonetics exercises audio
sentences_with_-b-.mp3
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1. bottles – bin  - curb 
Put your used bottles in the bin on the curb.
2. bring – ribs – barbecue
We’ll bring a package of ribs to the barbecue.
3. blow – bubbles – beverage
Don’t blow bubbles in your beverage.
4. public – believed – bad
The public believed the bad report.
5. brother – burned – bulb 
My brother replaced the burned-out lightbulb.
6. big – blue – suburbs
I live in a big blue house in the suburbs.

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