f vs v

Voiceless Labiodental Fricative vs Voiced Labiodental Fricative

How these sounds differ

Voiceless Labiodental Fricative

Voicing: voiceless
Place: labiodental
Manner: fricative
Class: consonant
In languages: 245 / 500

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Voiced Labiodental Fricative

Voicing: voiced
Place: labiodental
Manner: fricative
Class: consonant
In languages: 131 / 500

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Cross-linguistic distribution

245

Languages with f

119

Languages with both

131

Languages with v

119 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 v (20)

Pomo Pomoan Karok Language isolate TARASCAN Tarascan Tzeltal Mayan Chontal Mayan Zoque Mixe-Zoque Tunica Language isolate Telefol Nuclear Trans New Guinea Asmat Nuclear Trans New Guinea Sentani Sentanic Kunjen Pama-Nyungan Adzera Austronesian Iai Austronesian Chamorro Austronesian Lakkia Tai-Kadai Yao Hmong-Mien Hakka Chinese Sino-Tibetan Kharia Austroasiatic Burushaski Language isolate Mapudungun Araucanian

Has v, not f (12)

BRAO Austroasiatic Apinaye Nuclear-Macro-Je KORYAK Chukotko-Kamchatkan TIDDIM CHIN Sino-Tibetan IVATAN Austronesian Darkhat Mongolic-Khitan RUKAI Austronesian Aché Tupian PAIWAN Austronesian MIXE Mixe-Zoque Hopi Uto-Aztecan Gujarati Indo-European