B and V Are Not Twins in English

Say 'vaca' and 'baca' out loud — in most Spanish accents, they sound almost identical. English doesn't allow that overlap. For English B, your lips close completely and pop open, like in 'boat.' For English V, your top teeth rest lightly on your bottom lip and you feel a buzzy friction, like in 'vote.' Mixing them up can turn 'very' into 'berry' or 'vote' into 'boat' without you noticing. Try this pair right now: 'berry' then 'very.' Watch your mouth in a mirror — for 'very,' your teeth should touch your lip; for 'berry,' your lips should touch each other. Do this for two minutes with pairs like 'curb/curve' and 'boat/vote.' It feels exaggerated at first, but that's exactly what your mouth needs to learn the difference. Small, deliberate practice like this rewires the habit faster than you'd expect — stick with it.