/b/ is a voiced consonant sound.
The /p/ sound is made in the same place, but without voice.
/b/ is a plosive and that means that there is a lot of energy behind the sound.
The /b/ sound is produced by bringing your lips tightly together and releasing a voice.
Like this /b/.
Two common challenges with this sound are either a lack of muscularity, so you lose the energy of the /b/...
...or a devoicing of the sound so that it sounds like a /p/ rather than a /b/.
This usually happens at the end of a word and it changes the meaning of the word.
Listen to the differences when I pronounce a few word pairs.
Cap, cab.
Rip, rib.
Pup, pub.
Alright. Now, let's practice.
One of my favorite ways to energize the /b/ sound is by doing a boxing exercise, and this also helps with the /p/ sound.
So you can imagine you are wearing boxing gloves.
And imagine the action of your lips is almost like a boxing action, very explosive.
So, here we go.
/p/, /p/, /p/, /p/, /p/, /p/, /p/, /p/, /p/, /p/.
That's your voiceless.
/b/, /b/, /b/, /b/, /b/, /b/, /b/, /b/, /b/, /b/.
That's your voice to /b/ sound.
Now let's try them together.
/p/, /p/, /p/, /b/, /b/, /b/, /p/, /p/, /p/, /b/, /b/, /b/, /p/, /p/, /p/, /b/, /b/, /b/.
Feel the action in your lips as you do that boxing exercise.
Now, here are a few sentences comparing /b/ and /p/.
I sat in your lab.
I sat in your lap.
What a beautiful robe.
What a beautiful rope.
The cab is yellow.
The cap is yellow.
Put this into play as you practice on EnglishCentral and good luck!
