Language/Spanish/Grammar/Use-the-letters-V-and-B

Spanish is a language which sounds as it is written and is written as it sounds.

The letters "b" and "v" are pronounced exactly the same in Spanish.

Therefore it is common for Spanish-speakers to write "v" instead of "b" or "b" instead of "v".

Here are some rules to teach you how to use those letters correctly.

All words in which this letter goes before another consonant are written with "b"

Examples: libro, amable, subterráneo, obsequio.

Before "m" and "p" is written "b", and after "n", "d" and "b" write "v"

Examples: embajador, empezar, enviar, adversario, subvención.

Words that begin or end with "bio" are written with "b"

Examples: biografía, biología, anfibio.

Words ending with "bilidad" are written with "b", except: "movilidad" - "civilidad"

Examples: responsabilidad, amabilidad.

They are written with "b" the terminations of the past imperfect indicative of the verbs of the 1st conjugation and also preterite imperfect indicative of the verb "ir"

Examples: amábamos, cantabáis, alzaba, iba, ibas, íbamos.

All the compound words of the verb "venir" are written with "v"

Examples: convenir, prevenir.