B (letter): Difference between revisions
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'''b''' is usually a voiced bilabial stop, the unvoiced equivalent of '''p'''. Examples (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see [[English phonemes]]): '''bíg, bág, bát, bún, beaûty, bôth, Albânia, câble, tâble, Bâbel, Róbert, bòunce, ábstract, hërb, distürb, abhŏr, sâbre, câber, bít, túb, bábble'''. | '''b''' is usually a voiced bilabial stop, the unvoiced equivalent of '''p'''. Examples (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see [[English phonemes]]): '''bíg, bág, bát, bún, beaûty, bôth, Albânia, câble, tâble, Bâbel, Róbert, bòunce, ábstract, hërb, distürb, abhŏr, sâbre, câber, bít, túb, bábble'''. | ||
It is doubled after short vowels: ébb, fíbber, rábble, góbble, rúbble, clúbber, Débbie, clúbbed, drúbbing - but not when | It is doubled after short vowels: '''ébb, fíbber, rábble, góbble, rúbble, clúbber, Débbie, clúbbed, drúbbing''' - but not when written as a double vowel: '''doúble, troúble'''. | ||
It begins consonant clusters: bréad, ábdicate, abhŏr, abjûre, óblong, ábnegate, breâk, absürd, abscónd, abstâin, ábstract. | It begins consonant clusters: '''bréad, ábdicate, abhŏr, abjûre, óblong, ábnegate, breâk, absürd, abscónd, abstâin, ábstract'''. | ||
b is silent in two positions: final, after m: lámb, cômb, thúmb, límb, clîmb, dúmb, thúmb and tomb (which rhymes with doôm) and occasionally before | '''b''' is silent in two positions: final, after '''m''': '''lámb, cômb, thúmb, límb, clîmb, dúmb, thúmb''' and '''tomb''' (which rhymes with '''doôm''') and occasionally before '''t''': '''dòubt, súbtle, débt'''. | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 13:00, 29 November 2008
B is the second letter of the English alphabet, as it is in the Latin alphabet, where it originally appeared. In English its name is pronounced like bee and be.
Use in English
b is usually a voiced bilabial stop, the unvoiced equivalent of p. Examples (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see English phonemes): bíg, bág, bát, bún, beaûty, bôth, Albânia, câble, tâble, Bâbel, Róbert, bòunce, ábstract, hërb, distürb, abhŏr, sâbre, câber, bít, túb, bábble.
It is doubled after short vowels: ébb, fíbber, rábble, góbble, rúbble, clúbber, Débbie, clúbbed, drúbbing - but not when written as a double vowel: doúble, troúble.
It begins consonant clusters: bréad, ábdicate, abhŏr, abjûre, óblong, ábnegate, breâk, absürd, abscónd, abstâin, ábstract.
b is silent in two positions: final, after m: lámb, cômb, thúmb, límb, clîmb, dúmb, thúmb and tomb (which rhymes with doôm) and occasionally before t: dòubt, súbtle, débt.