beach · peach

Same long /iː/ vowel and /tʃ/ ending — only the first sound differs: voiced /b/ vs unvoiced /p/.

Both words have the exact same vowel /iː/ and ending /tʃ/. The only difference is the first sound — beach starts with voiced /b/, peach starts with unvoiced /p/. Press your lips together, then try both — beach buzzes, peach pops.

⠿ reorder

noun — a sandy or pebbly shore beside the sea or a lake — 'sandy beach' · 'beach volleyball' · 'hit the beach' · 'beachfront' · 'beachcomber' — not to be confused with 'beech' (the tree), which sounds identical

mouth shape

voiced /b/ — BEECH — lips press together, then release with vocal cord vibration — same /iːtʃ/ as peach — put your hand on your throat: you will feel a buzz at the very start

beach

/biːtʃ/

vowel length

long /iː/

⠿ reorder

noun / adjective — (1) a soft round fruit with a fuzzy skin and a stone — 'peach tree' · 'peach fuzz' · 'peaches and cream'; (2) a pale orange-pink colour — 'peach walls'; (3) informal: something excellent — 'she’s an absolute peach'

mouth shape

unvoiced /p/ — PEECH — lips press together, then release with a puff of air — no vocal cord vibration — same /iːtʃ/ as beach — throat is silent at the start

peach

/piːtʃ/

vowel length

long /iː/

Consonant spotlight — initial /b/ vs /p/

beach

/biːtʃ/

voiced /b/ — lips close, then buzz

throat vibrates at the start

≠

peach

/piːtʃ/

unvoiced /p/ — lips close, then pop

throat is silent at the start

/b/ and /p/ are made in exactly the same way — lips together, then released. The only difference is voicing. Hold your fingers against your throat and feel: beach vibrates from the very first sound; peach does not.

Voiced /b/ vs unvoiced /p/ — more initial pairs

voiced /b/	unvoiced /p/
beach	peach
bear	pear
bin	pin
big	pig
bay	pay
bite	pite—

The vowel before a voiced consonant tends to be slightly longer — so beach holds the /iː/ a touch longer than peach.

Key difference

Same vowel /iː/, same ending /tʃ/ — only the first consonant changes. beach /b/: voiced — vocal cords vibrate from the very first sound. peach /p/: unvoiced — lips press and release with a puff of air, no vibration.

Example sentences

beach:“We spent the afternoon on the beach, swimming and reading.”

beach:“The hotel has direct beachaccess — you can walk straight from the pool to the sand.”

peach:“She bit into a ripe peach— the juice ran down her chin.”

peach:“Thanks for helping me move — you’re an absolute peach.”

Hear it in a sentence

“The family spent the afternoon on the beach building sandcastles.”

“She bit into a ripe peach and juice ran down her chin.”

Hear it in the wild

Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.

YouGlish↗

▶