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approximant

phonetics
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Also known as: frictionless continuant, glide, semivowel
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Related Topics:
vowel
consonant

approximant, in phonetics, a sound that is produced by bringing one articulator in the vocal tract close to another without, however, causing audible friction (see fricative). Approximants include semivowels, such as the y sound in “yes” or the w sound in “war.”