V

V (Latin Capital Letter V, U+0056) is the 22nd letter of the modern Latin alphabet, instantly recognizable by its symmetrical shape formed by two converging strokes meeting at an acute angle. It primarily represents the voiced labiodental fricative sound /v/, as heard in words like "victory" and "vibrant." Historically, 'V' originated from the Semitic letter Waw, which also gave rise to 'U', 'W', and 'Y'. In classical Latin, 'V' and 'U' were not distinct letters, with 'V' serving for both the consonant /w/ and the vowel /u/, a differentiation that only fully developed during the Renaissance. Beyond its alphabetic role, 'V' famously denotes the Roman numeral for five, and is frequently used in mathematics and science for concepts like velocity or volume, making it a versatile and visually striking character.