/b/

consonant · voiced

The B Sound

as in bad

How to make the /b/ sound

Voiced — vocal cords vibrate
voiced voiceless
  1. 1Same lip position as P.
  2. 2Switch your voice on — feel the throat vibrate.
  3. 3Note: silent in "subtle", "debt", "doubt".

⚠ The most common mistake

Devoicing it at word end, so "cab" sounds like "cap".

Especially tricky for speakers of: German, Mandarin.

Train your ear: /b/ vs /v/

These two words differ by exactly one sound. Tap both — can you hear it?

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying bad, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

Practice words with /b/

Tap the speaker to hear each word; tap the word for its full pronunciation page.

More consonants

See all 44 sounds of English →