Wine or Vine? Untangle Ukrainian's V and W
Ukrainian's в can shift toward a w-like sound in some positions, which can blur English's clear v/w split.
Say 'wine' and 'vine'. If they sound close to identical, your в habit from Ukrainian may be blending into both English sounds, since в can behave a bit like w in certain contexts. English keeps these fully separate: v needs your top teeth lightly touching your bottom lip with continuous friction, while w needs rounded lips and no teeth contact at all, more like a quick vowel glide. Try this: say 'vvvv' with your teeth clearly on your lip, then switch to 'wwww' by rounding your lips and pulling your teeth away completely. Practice 'wine/vine', 'west/vest', and 'wet/vet', checking your teeth position each time. Spend two minutes exaggerating the switch between teeth-touching and lips-rounded. This clear physical difference will help you and your listeners tell these two everyday sounds apart instantly.
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