cab · cap

Same vowel /æ/, only the final consonant changes — voiced /b/ vs unvoiced /p/.

Both words have the exact same vowel /æ/. The only difference is the final consonant — cab ends with voiced /b/, cap ends with unvoiced /p/. Put your hand on your throat — you can feel the vibration in cab but not in cap.

⠿ reorder

ends with voiced /b/ — feel your throat vibrate at the end

mouth shape

same vowel as cap — /æ/ — the difference is at the END: /b/ is voiced, throat vibrates

cab

/kæb/

vowel length

short /æ/

⠿ reorder

ends with unvoiced /p/ — lips burst open, throat silent at the end

mouth shape

same vowel as cab — /æ/ — the difference is at the END: /p/ is unvoiced, throat stops

cap

/kæp/

vowel length

short /æ/

Voiced vs unvoiced — final consonant pairs

voiced /b/	unvoiced /p/
cab	cap
cub	cup
rib	rip
rob	rop—
pub	pup

The vowel before a voiced consonant is often slightly longer. cab sounds a tiny bit longer than cap.

Key difference

Same vowel /æ/ — the only change is the final consonant. cab /b/: voiced — your throat vibrates at the end (put your hand on your neck to feel it). cap /p/: unvoiced — lips burst open but throat is silent.

Example sentences

cab:“I took a cab to the airport.”

cap:“She wore a red cap to the match.”

Hear it in a sentence

“They hailed a cab outside the theatre after the show.”

“She wore a baseball cap to keep the sun out of her eyes.”

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↗

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cab

Hear native speakers say “cab” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.