57 Spanish Words That Start With V + Difference Between B vs. V With Examples
Spanish vocabulary learning has to be one of your top goals when you’re learning Spanish. And Spanish words that start with V are also part of this topic – no matter if we’re talking about Spanish verbs, nouns, adjectives or adverbs that start with V.
Spring Spanish (a project I actually co-founded) made a really useful video about the differences between B and V in Spanish. It’s essential to understand if you want to learn Spanish words that start with V.
Check it now:
In this blog post, we’re going to share a few fun facts about the Spanish letter V, and also explain the difference between B and V in Spanish.
Vamos! (Let’s go!)
1. Fun facts about the Spanish letter V
The letter V occupies an interesting place in the Spanish alphabet, sitting as the 22nd letter.
One of the key features of V in Spanish is its pronunciation, which is often similar to that of the letter B in many Spanish-speaking regions. (More on this in the next section.) This can sometimes confuse students who may not be accustomed to such small differences.
V has its roots in Latin, just like many other Spanish letters. It actually originates from the letter U and it was used interchangeably with it in earlier versions of the language.
Over the centuries, the two letters separated and now we use them separately. If you’re practicing the Spanish alphabet, you can name the Spanish letter V as ‘ve’ or ‘uve’ – depending on which Spanish-speaking country you’re in.
2. Difference between B and V in Spanish
In Spanish, the pronunciation of the letters B and V depends of different things and also on which Spanish dialect you’re using.
Generally, the letter B is pronounced with a hard sound when it appears at the beginning of a word or follows a nasal consonant, such as m or n:
- boca (mouth)
- móvil (mobile).
However, when B appears between vowels, its pronunciation softens, sometimes sounding closer to a V:
- trabajar (to work) – B has a softer sound compared to its pronunciation in English.
The letter V typically sounds similar to B in Spanish but is often articulated with a slightly different placement of the lips and teeth.
In many dialects, particularly in Latin America, the difference between B and V is minimal, and speakers often use the same sound for both letters.
In certain regions parts of Spain), V is pronounced with a softer or more fricative quality, where the upper teeth touch the lip, creating a sound that is somewhat between a B and the English V:
- viento (wind)
In the beginning, it can be pretty hard to understand the difference between b vs v, but that’s why we’re here, and that’s why we’re helping you with a brand new method that’s called Conversation Based Chunking.
With this approach, you won’t have to learn words from boring vocabulary lists (yes, even from the ones we shared in this blog post), rather learn the language in context. If you want to learn more about this method, sign up now, and we’ll send a FREE Spanish Chunking Starter Pack on your way.
If you’re interested in more Spanish vocabulary, you can check out Spanish words that start with B.
3. Spanish verbs that start with V
Verbs are really important for constructing sentences and expressing actions, in Spanish and in other languages, too.
Here are some notable verbs that start with V:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ver | to see |
| vivir | to live |
| vender | to sell |
| volver | to return |
| volar | to fly |
| vibrar | to vibrate |
| valer | to be worth |
| vaciar | to empty |
| votar | to vote |
| visitar | to visit |
| vivenciar | to experience |
| validar | to validate |
| visualizar | to visualize |
| vincular | to link |
| vagar | to roam |
| vaporizar | to vaporize |
And to see them all in action, here’s a short conversation in Spanish:
Carlos: ¿Puedes ver la película esta noche? (Can you see the movie tonight?)
Lucía: Sí, quiero vivir esa experiencia. (Yes, I want to live that experience.)
Carlos: Podemos visitar el cine juntos. (We can visit the theater together.)
Lucía: ¡Perfecto! ¿A qué hora debemos volver? (Perfect! What time should we return?)
4. Spanish nouns that start with V
Nouns are the building blocks of any language, giving us the names we need to communicate effectively.
Here’s a list of V-starting nouns to make your vocabulary even wider (because it’s already pretty good, right?!):
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la vida | life |
| el viento | wind |
| la vaca | cow |
| la vía | way/route |
| el vehículo | vehicle |
| las vacaciones | vacation |
| el valle | valley |
| el vendedor | seller |
| la ventana | window |
| la verdad | truth |
| el volcán | volcano |
| la vibración | vibration |
| el vínculo | link |
| el vacío | emptiness |
| la vigilancia | surveillance |
| la vuelta | return/trip |
Let’s imagine a situation on the countryside:
Carlos: Me encanta la vida en el campo. Por el viento, es tan refrescante. (I love life in the countryside. Because of the wind, it’s so refreshing.)
Lucía: Sí, pero extraño la ventana de mi apartamento. (Yes, but I miss the window of my apartment.)
Carlos: A veces, el valle tiene una vista espectacular. (Sometimes, the valley has a spectacular view.)
Lucía: Cierto, y la verdad es que el volcán cercano es impresionante. (True, and the truth is that the nearby volcano is impressive.)
5. Spanish adjectives that start with V
Adjectives help us describe nouns and add details to our conversations.
Here are some V-starting adjectives to use:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| vivo | lively |
| viejo | old |
| valioso | valuable |
| vasto | vast |
| vulnerable | vulnerable |
| vicioso | vicious |
| vario | varied |
| violeta | violet |
| ventoso | windy |
| vomitivo | vomit-inducing |
| vigilante | watchful |
| vigoroso | vigorous |
| vibrante | vibrant |
| vacilante | hesitant |
| vivificante | life-giving |
What about a short conversation with these Spanish words that start with V about dogs and cats?
Carlos: Tengo un perro vivo, ¿y tú? (I have a lively dog, how about you?)
Lucía: El mío es un gato viejo y vulnerable. (Mine is an old and vulnerable cat.)
Carlos: Me gusta su naturaleza vibrante. (I like its vibrant nature.)
Lucía: Sí, pero a veces es un poco vicioso cuando juega. (Yes, but sometimes it’s a bit vicious when it plays.)
6. Spanish adverbs that start with V
Adverbs are essential for adding depth to our expressions.
Check out these V-starting adverbs:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| vehementemente | vehemently |
| vivamente | vividly |
| voluntariamente | voluntarily |
| visiblemente | visibly |
| vagarosamente | aimlessly |
| vivamente | spiritedly |
| vacilantemente | hesitantly |
| vigorosamente | vigorously |
| vicariamente | vicariously |
| vorazmente | voraciously |
Here’s how you can spice up your sentences about business Spanish with these adverbs:
Carlos: Habló vehementemente sobre su idea de negocios. (He spoke vehemently about his business idea.)
Lucía: Sí, lo hizo vivamente también. (Yes, he did it vividly too.)
Carlos: Necesitamos actuar voluntariamente para hacerlo realidad. (We need to act voluntarily to make it happen.)
Lucía: Cierto, pero no debemos actuar vagarosamente. (True, but we shouldn’t act aimlessly.)
7. Learn Spanish words that start with V with Conversation Based Chunking
We already mentioned the Conversation Based Chunking method as a powerful way to learn vocabulary in context.
Here’s how you can use it on your Spanish language learning journey: integrate the Spanish words that start with V into your dialogues, so you can see how they naturally fit into different conversations.
This approach does two things: it makes learning Spanish enjoyable, aaand it helps you learn vocabulary effectively.
This way, you associate words with real-life situations, so you won’t have to search for Spanish words that start with V in the back of your mind, rather you’ll know which one to use every time.
Ready to give this method a try?
