Information AboutApproximant Consonant |
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| consonants | |
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Approximants are speech sounds that could be regarded as intermediate between Vowel s and typical Consonant s. In the articulation of approximants, articulatory organs produce a narrowing of the vocal tract, but leave enough space for air to flow without much audible turbulence. Approximants are therefore more open than Fricatives . This class of sounds includes Lateral approximants like , as in ''lip'', and approximants like and in ''yes'' and ''well'' which correspond closely to Vowel s and Semivowel s. CORRESPONDING VOWELS Palatal approximants correspond to Front Vowel s, Velar approximants to Back Vowel s, and labialized approximants to Rounded Vowel s. They are typically briefer and closer than the corresponding vowels. APPROXIMANTS VS. FRICATIVES When emphasized, approximants may be slightly fricated (that is, the airstream may become slightly turbulent), which is reminiscent of fricatives. Examples are the ''y'' of English ''yes!'' (especially when lengthened) and the "weak" Allophones of Spanish ''b, d, g'', which are often transcribed as fricatives (often due perhaps to a lack of dedicated approximant symbols). However, such frication is generally slight and intermittant, unlike the strong turbulence of fricative consonants. This confusion is also common with voiceless approximants, which necessarily have a certain amount of fricative-like noise. For example, the voiceless labialized velar approximant has traditionally been called a fricative. Tibetan has a voiceless lateral approximant, , and Welsh has a voiceless lateral fricative , but the distinction is not always clear from descriptions of these languages. For places of articulation further back in the mouth, languages do not contrast voiced fricatives and approximants. Therefore the IPA allows the symbols for the voiced fricatives to double for the central approximants, with or without a lowering Diacritic . Occasionally the glottal "fricatives" are called approximants, since {Link without Title} typically has no more frication than voiceless approximants, but they are often Phonation s of the glottis without any accompanying manner or place of articulation. CENTRAL APPROXIMANTS
LATERAL APPROXIMANTS
COARTICULATED APPROXIMANTS WITH DEDICATED IPA SYMBOLS
A "CENTRAL" APPROXIMANT? Although many languages have Central Vowel s which lie between back/velar and front/palatal , there are no confirmed reports of corresponding approximants. However, Mapudungun may be a possibility: It has three high vowel sounds, , , , written "i", "u", "ΓΌ", and three corresponding consonants, written "y", "w", "q". The first two are clearly and . The "q" is often described as a voiced unrounded velar fricative, but some texts note a correspondence between "q" and that is parallel to - and -. An example is ''liq'' "white" {Link without Title} . SEE ALSO |