Are v b separate phonemes in Hebrew language?

Answer 1

Yes and no.

Originally no, they were not separate phonemes. In ancient times, the letter ב represented b and v (making them allophones of the same sound), while the letter וrepresented w. For example, if the ב was at the beginning of the word, it was always pronounced b, and if it was at the end, it was always v.

But for at least the past few hundred years, the letter וhas come to be pronounced as v also, making the b and v separate phonemes. Further complicating things is the fact in Modern Hebrew, the the b sound can occur anywhere in the word (due to borrowed words like "job"), while in ancient times you could tell if the ב was a b or a v by its position.

ב = b or v

ו = v

Answer 2

Yes. The sound of 'v' is carried by the 6th letter of the alphabet (vav),

while the sound of 'b' is carried by the 2nd letter (bet).