How these sounds differ
vˤ
Voiced Labiodental Fricative
- Voicing
- voiced
- Place
- labiodental
- Manner
- fricative
- Class
- consonant
- In languages
- 0 / 500
f
Voiceless Labiodental Fricative
- Voicing
- voiceless
- Place
- labiodental
- Manner
- fricative
- Class
- consonant
- In languages
- 245 / 500
Cross-linguistic distribution
0
Languages with vˤ
0
Languages with both
245
Languages with f
0 languages in our database contrast both sounds as distinct phonemes. Languages that have one but not the other tend to merge them into a single phoneme — meaning speakers of those languages often struggle to hear the distinction when learning a language that contrasts them.
Has f, not vˤ (20)
Zoque
Mixe-Zoque
Tunica
Language isolate
Aleut
Eskimo-Aleut
Telefol
Nuclear Trans New Guinea
Asmat
Nuclear Trans New Guinea
Sentani
Sentanic
Kunjen
Pama-Nyungan
Adzera
Austronesian
Iai
Austronesian
Malagasy
Austronesian
Chamorro
Austronesian
Yay
Tai-Kadai
Lakkia
Tai-Kadai
Lahu
Sino-Tibetan
Yao
Hmong-Mien
Hakka Chinese
Sino-Tibetan
Kharia
Austroasiatic
Burushaski
Language isolate
Kabardian
Abkhaz-Adyge
Chontal
Mayan