Sound

English Pronunciation

Consonant Stop: b sound /b/

Listen to the b sound

ESL/ELL/EFL b sound pronunciation

b sound illustration

How to pronounce the b sound

The b sound is voiced (the vocal cords vibrate while producing it), and is the counterpart to the unvoiced p sound.

To create the b sound, air is briefly prevented from leaving the vocal tract by closing the lips. The sound is aspirated when the air is released. The aspiration for a b sound is less than the aspiration for a p sound.


Common b sound spellings

spelling example   other pronunciations for spelling
b/bb[1] back
rabbit
job


none

[1]: b spelling
In words that end in the letters -mb, the b is silent, and only the m sound is pronounced (examples include the words climb, limb and thumb).


The b sound in suffixes

spelling example   other pronunciations for spelling
-ibly terribly
visibly
incredibly


none
-able/ible audible
acceptable
adorable


none

Non-phonetic b sound words

none


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Sound Practice

stop b

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