Consonant Pair: /p/ and /b/

Especially when they come at the beginning of a word, these two sounds frustrate a lot of ESL students. The difference is that we use our voice for /b/ but not for /p/. The problem is that in some languages, there is no difference in these sounds, so speakers of those languages go back and forth between the sounds. In English, we can’t do that, because these sounds are contrastive, which means that it makes a difference when we use one or the other.

Another pair of matched consonants is /p/ and /b/. /p/ is voiceless and /b/ is voiced. To make both of these sounds, the upper and lower lips are pressed together, stopping air from coming out. The sound is made when the lips move apart and the air is released. Both /p/ and /b/ are clear in word-initial position because they are both aspirated: pea, bee. In the middle of a word. /p/ is aspirated mildly and /b/ is not aspirated: vapour, rubber, so that with a P, with a /p/ there’s aspiration. With the /b/ – rubber – there isn’t. At the end of a word /p/ is often not aspirated; it depends on the speaker and /b/ is not aspirated: rope, rope; rope, robe. Notice also how the /p/ or /b/ changes how long the vowel is. Let’s look at some examples of words that uh, that use /p/. So we’ll start – sorry – start over here and when the sound comes at the beginning of the word: pill, peel, pain, pad, pack. And now for examples where it’s medial: happy, hoping, piper, sloppy, ripen. And then now in word-final position: hoop, gripe, pup, cop, type. Now let’s take a look at some words with /b/. We’ll start here at the beginning, of course. I probably don’t need to write this arrow every time, do I? Best, bathe, beef, bean, bed. In medial position: robber, ruby, cabby, rubber, blubber. And then word-final position: fib, scab, nib, robe, job. Okay you think you’re pretty good at that? Let’s have a little quiz here and see. So I’m going to say one of these two words and I need you to decide which one it is. Is it the one on the left or the one on the right? Banned, blead, plot, breast, pride, plank, cop, pill, cub, pup. Okay, let’s see how you did. The words that I said just got bolded. So how did you do? If you want some more practice look below. Okay, see you next time.