Spanish Words Starting with V
Common Spanish words that start with V include ver (to see), venir (to come), vivir (to live), vez (time, occasion), verdad (truth), viernes (Friday), verde (green) and viejo (old). The most important thing to know about Spanish V is that it sounds exactly like B. Vaca (cow) and baca (roof rack) are pronounced the same, so spelling has to be learned word by word.
The lists below are grouped by meaning, with gender and example sentences. Then come the B/V rules that help with spelling, the verbs ver, venir and volver that learners mix up, false friends, and a short practice.
How to pronounce V
- At the start of a phrase or after m/n: a full b sound, lips closed: ¡Vamos! (BAH-mos), enviar (em-bee-AR).
- Between vowels and elsewhere: a soft b, lips almost touching but letting air through: la vida, nuevo, uva.
- Never the English v with teeth on the lip. A few speakers use it in careful speech, but it is not standard.
Because B and V sound the same, Spanish speakers spell aloud by saying be larga or be grande for B and uve (Spain) or ve corta / ve chica (Latin America) for V.
Nouns that start with V
Daily life and the home
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la vez | time, occasion (plural veces): una vez, dos veces |
| la vida | life |
| la ventana | window |
| el vaso | glass (for drinking) |
| el vestido | dress |
| la vela | candle; sail |
| el/la vecino/a | neighbour |
| las vacaciones | holidays, vacation (always plural) |
| el viaje | trip, journey |
| el vuelo | flight |
| la vuelta | return; turn; change (money) |
| el video / el vídeo | video (Latin America / Spain) |
| la voz | voice (plural voces) |
| la verdad | truth |
| el viernes | Friday |
| el verano | summer |
Food and drink
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el vino | wine (vino tinto = red wine) |
| las verduras | vegetables |
| el vinagre | vinegar |
| la vainilla | vanilla |
| la vieira | scallop |
Nature, animals and places
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el viento | wind |
| el valle | valley |
| el volcán | volcano |
| la vaca | cow |
| el venado | deer |
| la víbora | viper, snake |
| el/la visitante | visitor |
| la villa | town; villa (and villa miseria, a shanty town in Argentina) |
Verbs that start with V
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ver | to see, watch | Vemos una película. |
| venir | to come | ¿Vienes a la fiesta? |
| vivir | to live | Vivo en Quito. |
| volver | to return, come back | Vuelvo a las ocho. |
| volver a + infinitive | to do again | Volví a llamarla. – I called her again. |
| viajar | to travel | Viajamos en tren. |
| vender | to sell | Venden fruta en el mercado. |
| visitar | to visit | Visito a mis abuelos. |
| vestirse | to get dressed | Me visto rápido. |
| volar | to fly | Los pájaros vuelan. |
| votar | to vote | ¿Por quién votaste? |
| valer | to be worth, cost | ¿Cuánto vale? – How much is it? |
| vencer | to defeat; to expire | El pasaporte vence en mayo. |
| verificar | to check, verify | Verifica los datos. |
Ver, venir, volver and ir: the verbs learners mix up
- ver (to see): veo, ves, ve; preterite vi, viste, vio. Te veo mañana. – See you tomorrow.
- venir (to come, towards the speaker): vengo, vienes, viene; preterite vine, viniste, vino. Ven aquí. – Come here.
- ir (to go, away from the speaker): voy, vas, va. Many forms of ir start with V even though the verb does not: vamos (let’s go, we go), ve (go! – the same spelling as “he sees”).
- volver (to return): vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve. Past participle vuelto, not volvido.
Two traps: vino means “wine” and also “he came”; ve can be “he sees” (ver) or “go!” (ir). Context always decides.
Adjectives that start with V
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verde | green; unripe | Los plátanos están verdes. – The bananas aren’t ripe. |
| viejo/a | old | un coche viejo |
| vacío/a | empty | La nevera está vacía. |
| valiente | brave | una decisión valiente |
| válido/a | valid | un billete válido |
| varios/as | several | varias veces – several times |
| veloz | fast, swift (written) | un tren veloz |
| verdadero/a | true, real | un verdadero amigo |
| vivo/a | alive; lively; bright (colour); sharp | Está vivo. Es muy vivo. |
| violeta | violet, purple | flores violeta |
| vago/a | lazy; vague | No seas vago. – Don’t be lazy. |
Vivo changes meaning with the verb: estar vivo = to be alive; ser vivo = to be sharp, quick-witted.
Everyday expressions with V words
- ¡Vamos! – Let’s go! / Come on!
- ¿Verdad? – Right? / Isn’t it? Hace frío, ¿verdad?
- De verdad – really, honestly.
- A veces – sometimes. Otra vez – again. Tal vez – maybe.
- De vez en cuando – from time to time.
- Vale – OK (Spain): ¿Nos vemos a las seis? – Vale.
- ¡Buen viaje! – Have a good trip!
- Dar la vuelta – to turn around; dar una vuelta – to go for a walk or a short drive.
- Ver para creer – seeing is believing.
- Estar verde – to be inexperienced, not ready (like English “green”).
B or V? Spelling rules that help
There is no sound difference, but some patterns are reliable:
- After n, write V: enviar, invierno, convencer, invitar. (After m, write B: cambiar, hombre.)
- Adjectives ending in -avo, -ave, -evo, -eve, -ivo, -iva use V: octavo, suave, nuevo, breve, activo, positiva.
- Words starting with vice-, villa- use V: vicepresidente, villancico.
- Forms of ir, estar, tener, andar in some tenses use V: voy, vas, estuve, tuve, anduve. But the imperfect ending -aba uses B: hablaba, estaba.
- Words that start with bu-, bur-, bus- use B: buscar, burro, bueno.
Pairs that differ only in spelling: vaca (cow) / baca (roof rack), votar (to vote) / botar (to throw away; to bounce), tuvo (had) / tubo (tube), vello (body hair) / bello (beautiful).
False friends starting with V
| Spanish | Real meaning | Not |
|---|---|---|
| vaso | drinking glass | vase (jarrón, florero) |
| vago | lazy (most often) | only “vague” |
| versátil | versatile; also fickle | only a compliment |
| vicioso/a | addicted; full of bad habits | vicious (cruel, feroz) |
Example sentences with V words
- En verano viajamos al valle a ver a mis abuelos. – In summer we travel to the valley to see my grandparents.
- Mi vecina vende verduras en el mercado los viernes. – My neighbour sells vegetables at the market on Fridays.
- ¿Vienes conmigo o vuelves a casa? – Are you coming with me or going back home?
- Abre la ventana; no hay nada de viento. – Open the window; there’s no wind at all.
- Lo he visto varias veces y siempre me gusta. – I’ve seen it several times and I always like it.
Reading practice: a trip in V words
El verano pasado Valeria viajó a Costa Rica. El vuelo fue largo, pero desde la ventana del avión vio varios volcanes. Vivió dos semanas en un pueblo del valle, en casa de una vecina de su abuela. Por las tardes daba una vuelta por el mercado, donde venden verduras frescas, y por las noches veía las estrellas. Fue un viaje que nunca olvidará, y quiere volver a ir el verano que viene.
Translation: Last summer Valeria travelled to Costa Rica. The flight was long, but from the plane window she saw several volcanoes. She lived for two weeks in a village in the valley, at the home of a neighbour of her grandmother’s. In the afternoons she went for a walk around the market, where they sell fresh vegetables, and at night she watched the stars. It was a trip she will never forget, and she wants to go again next summer.
Notice vio (she saw, preterite of ver), veía (she used to watch, imperfect), daba una vuelta (went for a walk) and volver a ir (to go again).
Quick answers
Is there a difference between B and V in Spanish?
Not in sound. Both are pronounced as b, hard after a pause or m/n and soft between vowels. The difference exists only in spelling.
What are some Spanish adjectives starting with V to describe a person?
Valiente (brave), vivo (sharp), vago (lazy), vanidoso (vain), vergonzoso (shy, easily embarrassed) and viejo (old; mayor is more polite for people).
Common mistakes
- English v sound: vino starts with a b sound.
- Volvido: the participle of volver is vuelto; of ver, visto.
- Vezes: z becomes c before e: veces.
- Una vacación: “a holiday” is unas vacaciones or las vacaciones.
- Confusing votar and botar: votar is to vote; botar is to throw away (Latin America) or to bounce a ball. They sound identical, so only spelling separates them.
- Using tiempo for “times”: “three times” is tres veces, not tres tiempos.
Practice
- Translate: “I have been to Mexico two times.”
- Choose: Mañana (vengo / veo) a tu casa a las cinco.
- B or V? in_ierno, cam_iar, nue_o, _uscar.
- Give the past participle of volver.
Answers: 1. He estado en México dos veces. 2. vengo. 3. invierno, cambiar, nuevo, buscar. 4. vuelto.
More vocabulary by letter: Spanish words that start with U, Spanish words that start with B, and the day itself in how to say Friday in Spanish.
