Comprehensive V Words List for Speech Therapy Success: 250+ WordsV Words

When children have difficulty pronouncing the ‘v sound and v words, they often substitute it with sounds that are easier to pronounce like ‘b’, ‘w’ and ‘f’, saying “billage” instead of “village”. This happens because ‘v’ is a voiced labiodental fricative, which can be challenging for young children and those with speech delays. 

In this article, we’ll focus on the v sound and v words to help boost your child’s confidence, improve their articulation and help them develop the language skills they need for success. We’ve included comprehensive v word lists, one divided into where the sound appears within the word and another divided into syllable count so you can give your child the practice they need. 

You’ll also find short phrases and sentences, games, books and other activities to help your child master v words while having fun. 

Word list: /V/ Word List

Here’s our comprehensive v word list that you can use for professional or home speech therapy sessions. 

We’ve included examples of the v sound appearing at the beginning (initial), middle (medial) and end (final) of the word. Notice that the v sound can also be written as ‘ve’ when appearing at the end of the word – many English words end with this sound. 

We recommend that you work through these v word lists with your child, first starting with the shorter words then moving onto the more challenging as you see your child’s pronunciation skills improve. 

Initial /v/ Words (at the beginning of the word)	Medial /v/ Words(in the middle of the word)	Final /v/ Words(at the end of the word)
van	avocado	behave
vet	aviator	brave
valley	beaver	carve
vase	bravo	clove
vast	over	dove
very	cavalry	drive
vest	civil	five
visit	clever	give
voice	clover	groove
veil	cover	have
vegan	covet	hive
velocity	craving	live
vendor	devil	love
venture	develop	move
veranda	device	native
verify	devious	olive
version	divert	positive
vestment	evil	reprieve
vanilla	ever	revive
vegetables	every	shelve
vehicle	evict	shove
velvet	evidence	solve
velcro	evening	stove
video	everlasting	survive
violin	evermore	thieve
violet	fever	weave
valuable	flavor	absolve
view	forever	active
vine	gavel	aggressive
vacation	driveway	allusive
victory	giver	alternative
volcano	government	apprehensive
volleyball	gravel	arrive
vote	haven	captive
vowel	heavy	cohesive
voyage	hover	collective
village	invasive	combative
vinegar	invent	comparative
vitamin	invisible	compulsive
vibrate	involve	conclusive
vivid	lava	conservative
virtue	level	constructive
vision	lever	creative
visitable	shaving	defensive
visitor	lively	descriptive
vital	lovable	deprive
vocal	lovebird	derivative
vocalist	lovely	detective
vocabulary	maverick	discursive
voicebox	movie	disruptive
volcanic	November	elaborative
voluntary	novel	elective
volunteer	overture	elusive
vulture	overalls	emotive
velvety	overcome	evasive
vastly	overjoyed	excessive
vacuum	overload	expressive
veteran	overlook	explosive
verification	overpass	extensive
vex	overrun	festive
vibrant	oversized	forgive
voracious	pavement	fugitive
vain	pavilion	imaginative
voyageur	paving	impressive
vanish	private	inclusive
vacationer	prove	inquisitive
valentine	provide	instinctive
vigilant	raven	intensive
vent	revival	inventive
vroom	revolve	massive
victorious	revisit	objective
visor	savory	oblige
villager	shovel	obsessive
vanquish	silver	offensive
vortex	seven	passive
veggie	traveler	productive
vault	uncover	protective
vampire	universe	reflective
	invite	relative
	carnival	remissive
	envelope	responsive
	seventy	restive
	travel	sedative
	beverage	selective
	driver	submissive
	diver	suggestive
	heaven	supportive
	advice	talkative
	shiver	glove
	river	sleeve
	mover	beehive
	gravy	save
		wave
		above
		dive
		remove
		shave
		cursive
		receive
		expensive

V Word Lists by Syllables

Children undergoing speech therapy can improve their pronunciation, rhythm and speech fluency by practicing words with different syllable counts. 

Words with just one syllable help enhance their articulation of the focus sound itself whereas multi-syllable words help with breath control, stress and overall pronunciation of the various sounds of speech. It also improves phonetic awareness and confidence which is helpful when reading, writing or studying.

Here’s our list of v words, separated into initial v words, medial v words and final v words, then divided into syllable count.

Initial v by syllables (at the beginning of the word)

One syllable	Two syllables	Three syllables	Four syllables	Five Syllables	Six Syllables
van	vacant	vanilla	vacationer	visualization	valedictorian
vat	valley	vacation	velocity	vulnerability	verifiability
vex	value	valuable	vibrational	voluntarily	variability
vet	virus	vegetable	vocabulary	variability	veterinarian
vent	vary	velvety	visitation	victimization	vulnerability
vest	vegan	vermilion	vindication	volatility
vault	venom	vestibule	vernacular	verification
vine	verbal	vitamin	valuation	visualizing
void	verdict	volcano	vulnerable	vegetarian
vote	verify	veteran	victorious	volunteerism
vow	vessel	vibrating	valuable	vaporizable
vale	vestige	villainous	veneration	variational
vast	vibrant	villager	variety	verticality
veer	vicious	Visitor	voluntary	vitalization
vane	valiant	volatile	vegetation	vulnerabilities
verb	vampire	volunteer	viscosity	vitalistically
verge	viewer	vomiting	violinist	versification
vern	village	valentine	venerable	verifiably
vole	vintage	vanishing	volumetric	verbalization
volt	virgil	vanguard	validations	vocabulary
vroom	vision	variance	vibrationist	veterinary
	visit	venomous	ventilation	victimizing
	vocal	venturing	voluptuous	validational
	vortex	vernacular	vindictiveness	variegation
	volume	versatile	ventilators	volitionary
	vowel	versioning	volunteering	virtuosity
	voyage	vibrantly	variable	visibilities
	vivid	vigilance	vocational
	vacate	vigorous	visionaries
	vagrant	vindicate	volunteerism
	valid	violently	valedictory
	valued	vocalist	viaducts
	venture	volcanic	vaccination
	version	volleyball	verbalizing
	versus	voracious	violations
	vestment	voyageur	validating
	vibrate	vibration	vindicating
	vital	vibrancy	vacationing
	voltage	visibly	visionary
	vulture	visited
	vapor	viable
	vanish	vehicle
	venous	vertebra
	vesper	vertical
	virile	victory
	viscous	video
	votary	vinegar
	vulgar	viola
	vector	violet
	varnish	violin
	voodoo	visible
	voucher
	vulcan
	vaccine
	vacuum
	versed
	velvet
	vineyard

Medial v by syllables (in the middle of the word)

One syllable	Two syllables	Three syllables	Four syllables	Five Syllables
lives	beloved	unraveled	avocado	abbreviated
	clever	survivor	violation	abomination
	covert	overload	devastation	accumulative
	devour	overlook	development	appreciation
	device	overjoyed	disadvantage	availability
	divide	novelty	disavowing	avoidability
	divine	overact	elevation	collaboration
	evade	oversee	elevator	communication
	converge	overwhelm	envelopment	cooperation
	event	overdue	everlasting	determination
	evoke	overboard	extraverted	developable
	vintage	overhear	forgettable	developmental
	glover	overture	imaginative	elimination
	heavily	overturn	invaluable	environmental
	invent	overgrow	invitation	evacuation
	lavish	overcome	irrevocable	evaporated
	levity	evergreen	motivating	evaporation
	lively	evidence	motivation	evaluation
	lovely	evacuee	overanxious	exaggeration
	lovey	evacuate	overbalance	imaginative
	nervous	evaporate	overburdened	inadvisable
	novice	revival	overcautious	individual
	pavement	reverence	overexpose	investigation
	provide	devoted	overindulge	irrevocable
	ravage	adventure	overreaching	lovability
	reveal	advantage	overshadowed	overachiever
	silver	convince	overspending	overanalyze
	traverse	envelope	overwhelming	overconfident
	uncover	envision	salvageable	overdecorate
	unloved	invasive	supervillain	overestimate
	vivid	invisible	undervalue	overexcited
	naval	inviting	undervaluing	overpowering
	prevail	lovable	universal	overreaction
	prevent	loveliness	unraveling	revitalizing
		marvelous	unthinkable	revolutionary
		novelist	valuation	unavailable
		travesty	vibrational	unavoidable
		traveler	victorious	unbelievable
		evenly		universalism
				civilization

Final v by syllables (at the end of the word)

One syllable	Two syllables	Three syllables	Four syllables	Five Syllables
brave	alive	decisive	appreciative	imaginative
cave	above	destructive	authoritative	regenerative
crave	behave	effective	repetitive	representative
clave	believe	expensive	collaborative	commemorative
dive	bereave	impressive	commemorative	elaborative
drive	contrive	microwave	competitive	investigative
five	deprive	misbehave	consecutive
gave	derive	negative	cooperative
grave	motive	offensive	declarative
hive	native	positive	demonstrative
jive	disprove	relative	elaborative
knave	engrave	sensitive	evaluative
lave	approve	talkative	exaggerative
live	forgive	intrusive	figurative
pave	misbehave	creative	illustrative
give	naive	diffusive	indicative
glove	outlive	corrosive	innovative
grove	perceive	explosive	insensitive
have	receive	incentive	investigative
trove	recurve	impulsive	provocative
valve	relieve	descriptive	speculative
wave	remove	inventive	superlative
love	reprieve	imperative
nave	resolve	meditative
prove	retrieve	transmissive
dove	revive	restrictive
clove	revolve	submissive
reeve	sleeve	suggestive
save	strive	objective
shave	survive	reflective
sieve	upheave	persuasive
sleeve	achieve	protective
slave	arrive
stave	conceive
strive	deceive
swive	enslave
thieve	relive
weave	cursive
wove	improve
	olive
	captive
	evolve
	involve
	massive

Further /V/ Word Practice: Short Phrases and Sentences

In this section, you’ll find short phrases and sentences that will help your child further enhance their pronunciation of v words and boost fluency. 

Start with the easier carrier phrases before moving on to the more complex structures, giving plenty of praise and encouragement along the way. Remember to use these with the scientifically proven Forbrain headset for best results. 

Carrier phrases 

Carrier phrases help your child practice vocabulary words in real-life contexts, without fear of judgment. Simply choose one of the phrases, insert a v word, then practice the short sentence as many times as needed. 

Here are some of our favorite carrier phrases: 

• “I see a…”
• “I found a…”
• “I want a…”
• “He found a…”
• “She found a…”
• “I have a…”
• “He has a…”
• “She has a…”
• “I like to…”
• “He likes to…”

For example, you could create phrases like these:

• “I want a VACATION”
• “I like ADVENTURES”
• “She eats VEGETABLES”
• “I see a RIVER”
• “I found a CAVE” 
• “He has VIOLINS”

Short Phrases with V Words

Here’s our list of short phrases with v words, divided into initial, medial and final positions. 

Initial v word phrases	Medial v word phrases	Final v word phrases
vivid picture	clever boy	love song
velvet bunny	yummy avocado	live show
vibrant rainbow	lovely park	blue glove
vast forest	wide pavement	give thanks
violet butterfly	adventurous traveler	wave goodbye
victory dance	imaginative painting	sharp dive
vine swing	silver key	save money
blue vase	fall overboard	huge beehive
shiny vehicle	evergreen tree	flying dove
friendly vet	hungry beaver	Big wave
exciting voyage	quenching beverage	brave knight
big village	clever girl	black olive
fun video	scuba diver	captive lion
vanilla candy	four-leaf clover	smart move
scary vampire	bus driver	close drive
family visit	long driveway	shiny stove
best vacation	good gravy	tough love
white vacuum	heavy ball	fast dive
paper valentine	party invite	Small olive
green valley	level wall	big cave
silver van	jump over	long drive
glass vase	winding river	number five
wall vent	number seven	white dove
black vest	cold shiver	shirt sleeve
classical violin	travel far	imaginative boy
erupting volcano	exciting event	massive snake
sand volleyball	red envelope	forgive me
vote today	lost civilization	arrive home

Short Sentences with V Words

Here are some short child–friendly sentences you can use to practice v words in context. 

We’ve included v words that appear at the beginning, middle and end of the word to help your child improve their pronunciation, boost their confidence and master this common sound. 

Initial v word sentences	Medial v word sentences	Final v word sentences
The van drove down the road.	The clever fox jumped over the log.	The brave knight fought the dragon.
My dog went to the vet for a check-up.	The mystery book unraveled slowly.	The birds flew high above the trees.
We walked through the valley and saw lots of animals.	We saw a vivid rainbow after the storm.	I love eating avocado with my sandwich.
The flowers are in a pretty vase.	She loved to visit her grandparents every weekend.	We explored a dark cave on our hike.
The vast ocean is so big!	Ancient civilization built beautiful pyramids.	The flowers are alive with colour
The very tall tree was hard to climb.	She worked hard to overcome her fear.	The scent of clove filled the kitchen.
I wear my favorite vest on cool days.	The movie was so funny, we laughed a lot.	My teacher will approve my science project.
Let’s visit grandma this weekend!	The backpack was too heavy and caused an overload.	I crave chocolate after school.
The bird has a beautiful voice.	The storm caused great devastation in the city.	I have a deep appreciation for nature.
She wore a veil at her wedding.	The accumulative points added up to a prize.	The cat loves to chase the mouse.
I am a vegan, so I don’t eat animal products.	The beloved puppy wagged its tail happily.	I have a special gift for my friend.
The velocity of the car was really fast!	We must not overlook the small details.	The puppy will behave if you give it a treat.
The vendor sold ice cream on the corner.	The turtle moved slowly across the sand.	We need to leave before it gets dark.
We are going on an exciting venture to the park.	She is a clever girl.	They gave me a big hug when I came home.
I will verify my homework before turning it in.	The scuba diver found treasure.	The bird will dive into the water.
This is my favorite version of the game.	I found a lucky four-leaf clover.	She will arrive at the party soon.
His vestment was blue and shiny.	My dad is a bus driver.	He made a quick move to avoid the ball.
I love the taste of vanilla ice cream.	My grandparents have a long driveway.	We will explore the cave tomorrow.
I eat lots of vegetables to stay healthy.	My mom makes good gravy.	I can’t believe how fast you ran!
The veranda was full of flowers and plants.	I play with a heavy ball.	A massive snake slithered by.

V Word Reading Practice

Vera the Violet Bunny

Vera the violet bunny lived in a cozy village near the forest. One sunny afternoon, she decided to venture into the woods to find a special vegetable for her lunch. As she hopped along the path, she could hear the gentle sound of the breeze moving the leaves, and the stream flowing peacefully over the stones 

Vera had a very special mission—she was looking for the very biggest, juiciest carrot she could find! Along the way, she saw a butterfly flutter by, and a vole peeked out from under a vine. “Have you seen any carrots?” Vera asked the vole.

The vole nodded and pointed to a secret spot by the oak tree. Excited, Vera quickly ran there and found the perfect carrot! She took a big bite and smiled. “I love carrots! This was worth the adventure!” she thought, feeling very happy and satisfied.

Victor Loves to Explore

Victor the brave little bird lived in a cozy village nestled in the valley. Every morning, she would fly across the vast land, flying above the clover fields and visiting her friends. One day, Victor felt a craving for something sweet, so she flew to the vendor who sold delicious avocado snacks and vanilla-flavored treats.

“Hello, Victor!” said the friendly vendor, who always had something new for him to try. “Would you like to try a new vegetable wrap or something vegetarian?”

Victor was always very clever in choosing the healthiest snacks. He decided to try the wrap with a few olives and some crunchy clove. Afterward, he visited his friend, the beaver, who was busy carving a new dam out of wood.

“Hello, beaver!” said Victor. “What’s new?”

“I’m making a special shelter,” the beaver said, his voice filled with pride. “I’ve developed a new version of my old design. It’s a very clever idea!”

Victor loved to watch the beaver work, and he admired how inventive the beaver was. As the evening drew near, he felt the wind move gently over his feathers. He decided it was time to return home to his cozy treehouse.

As he flew back, he felt happy and alive. The village was full of vibrant colors and sounds. “Tomorrow,” he thought, “I’ll explore even more!” And with that, Victor fluttered to his perch, ready for another day of adventure.

Games & Activities with V Words 

Give your child the opportunity to practice their pronunciation of v words while having fun by incorporating these games, activities and books into your home speech therapy sessions.

‘V Word Sound’ Scavenger Hunt

• Choose ten nouns from the V word list we shared earlier and gather objects, pictures or photos that match these words. 

• Hide these objects, pictures, or photos around the room.
  
• Give your child the list of ten words you selected and encourage them to go hunting for the objects.
  
• When they find an object, give them plenty of praise and perhaps a reward. 

V Word Sound Bingo

• Use the word lists we shared earlier to create bingo cards. Make sure you include words with the v sound in the initial, medial, and final position.
  
• Call out the words and ask them to repeat it, then mark it off on their bingo card.
  
• When their card is full and they have pronounced the word correctly, they win! 

‘V Word Sound Pictionary

• Write down a selection of v words on slips of paper and put them in a pile in the middle of the table.
  
• Give your child some paper and coloured pencils and ask them to draw a picture of the word so you can guess. 

• When they finish their drawing, they must say the word aloud.
  
• Again, praise their efforts throughout the game. 

Read books

One of the most effective ways to boost your child’s literacy and imagination and bond with your child is to read books together. Here’s a list of our five favorite books that will help your child practice vocabulary words and fall in love with reading. 

• My Mouth Is A Volcano by Julia Cook
  
• Vets: The Sound of V (Phonics Fun!) by Peg Ballard
  
• Oliver Flea: Learn and Practice Pronouncing f and v Sounds by Elocin Pseu
  
• Vivien and Jeff’s Very Favorite Fall Carnival: F and V Sounds by Cass Kim & Kawena VK
  
• My “v” Sound Box Paperback by Jane Belk Moncure & Rebecca McKillip Thornburgh

What is a /V/ Sound and How to Pronounce It?

The ‘v sound’ is the sound found in words like ‘van’, ‘viper’, ‘river’ and ‘brave’. Usually this sound is represented by the letter ‘v’ in English, although it can also be represented by ‘ve’ (with the final letter silent).  

It’s written as /v/ in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and is the voiced counterpart to the ‘f sound’. 

Many children find v words difficult to pronounce, replacing the v sound with ‘b’ (“bery” instead of “very”), ‘w’ (“wictim” instead of “victim), or ‘f’ (“fery” instead of “very”). This can be caused by motor coordination problems or difficulties hearing the sound.

The v word lists, phrases, and sentences we share here provide your child with repeated exposure to the sound in different positions and help provide opportunities to practice. 

Followed by the fun activities like games, activities, and reading, your child will soon understand how the ‘v sound’ is made and improve their own pronunciation and literacy skills. 

How to pronounce the ‘v word’ sound

The ‘v sound’ in v words is a voiced labiodental fricative. 

This means that when you pronounce this sound, you’ll use your vocal cords (voiced), your top teeth make contact with your bottom lip (labiodental), and the air passes through a narrow gap in your mouth, causing friction (fricative). 

Follow these steps to pronounce the v sound accurately: 

• Bring your lips together so they’re just touching

• Place the bottom edges of your top teeth against your bottom lip. 

• Vibrate your vocal cords. 

• The air should pass from your lungs, over your vocal cords, and through the small gap in your mouth. 

Watch this child-friendly video from Peachie Speechie for more detailed guidance on pronouncing ‘v word’ sounds. 

How to help your child produce the ‘v sound’ correctly

Here’s how you can help your child practice and master the ‘v sound’ to improve their speech clarity, confidence and language skills. 

1. Sit with your child in front of a mirror and ask them to watch you as you say the simple, three-letter v word, ‘van.’
   
2. Ask your child to watch what your lips and teeth are doing and copy you as they look into the mirror.
   
3. Once they’ve done this, encourage them to place their hand on your throat as you vibrate your vocal cords and pronounce the v sound. Tell them to tell you what they can feel.
   
4. Encourage your child to copy your lip and teeth position and vibrate their vocal cords while they look in the mirror.
   
5. If your child is struggling, explain the position of their lips and teeth and remind them about their vocal cords. 

Practice as many times as needed, repeating the simpler one-syllable v words before moving on to the more complex. 

Using Forbrain to Practice V Words

By using these v word lists, games and activities regularly, you’ll soon see a significant improvement in your child’s pronunciation of this sound. 

For best effects, practice for at least 10 minutes per day, using the scientifically-proven Forbrain headset to deepen and accelerate results. 

Using the latest technology, this speech therapy tool helps retrain the brain’s auditory feedback loops, promoting better sound recognition, pronunciation, vocabulary expansion and enhancing cognitive skills. 

The comfortable, user-friendly headset is popular with speech therapists and parents alike, and provides children with a safe, non-judgmental environment to practice speech sounds and overcome their speech difficulties. 

Learn more about Forbrain for speech therapy here.

Final Words

Practice makes perfect! Use the v word lists, phrases, sentences, activities, games and other resources we’ve shared here to help your child master their pronunciation of the v sound and v words in a fun and engaging way. 

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