97 The V [v] and F [f] Consonant Sounds These consonants are ‘fricatives’, which means we pass the air through a narrow channel made by the lips, tongue, or teeth. In this case, we bring the bottom lip up to touch the bottom of the top front teeth and pass air through this pressed space. The F is unvoiced, and the V is voiced. A common mistake students make with these sounds is to curl in the bottom lip. We don’t want it to curl in, just lift. It’s the inside of the bottom lip that should touch the bottom of the top front teeth. The lips have to be loose, without tension, so they can vibrate with the air. These sounds have no stop like the consonants we studied so far. That means you can hold them out for several seconds as you practice, to fine-tune your mouth position.