{{Manner_of_articulation}}

'''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 [[fricative consonant|fricatives]]. This class of sounds includes [[Lateral consonant|lateral]] approximants like {{IPA|[l]}}, as in ''lip'', and approximants like {{IPA|[j]}} and {{IPA|[w]}} in ''yes'' and ''well'' which correspond closely to [[vowel]]s and [[semivowel]]s.

==Corresponding vowels==

Some approximants resemble vowels. The term ''[[semivowel]]'' is often used for such segments. (Semivowels are non-syllabic vowel-like segments. While some phoneticians restrict the term to true non-syllabic vowels, which form [[diphthong]]s, others include the subset of approximants that resemble vowels. The difference phonetically is that these approximants are closer than the corresponding non-syllabic vowels.)

In articulation and often diachronically, [[palatal consonant|palatal]] approximants correspond to [[front vowel]]s, [[velar consonant|velar]] approximants to [[back vowel]]s, and labialized approximants to [[rounded vowel]]s. In American English, the [[rhotic consonant|rhotic]] approximant corresponds to the rhotic vowel.

:{|
! Approximant !! Corresponding vowel
|- align=center
| {{IPA|w}} || {{IPA|u}}
|- align=center
| {{IPA|j}} || {{IPA|i}}
|- align=center
| {{IPA|ɥ}} || {{IPA|y}}
|- align=center
| {{IPA|ɰ}} || {{IPA|ɯ}}
|- align=center
| {{IPA|ɹ}} || {{IPA|ɝ}}
|}

==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 pronunciation|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 intermittent, 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 {{IPA|[ʍ]}} has traditionally been called a fricative, and no language is known to contrast it with a voiceless labialized velar fricative {{IPA|[xʷ]}}. [[Tibetan language|Tibetan]] has a voiceless lateral approximant, {{IPA|[l̥]}}, and [[Welsh language|Welsh]] has a voiceless lateral fricative {{IPA|[ɬ]}}, but the distinction is not always clear from descriptions of these languages. Again, no language is known to contrast the two.<ref>Ladefoged, Peter & Ian Maddieson (1996). ''The sounds of the world’s languages''. Oxford: Blackwells. ISBN 0-631-19814-8</ref>

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 [h] 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==

*[[bilabial approximant]] {{IPA|[β̞]}} (usually written {{IPA|<β>}})
*[[labiodental approximant]] {{IPA|[ʋ]}}
*[[dental approximant]] {{IPA|[ð̞]}} (usually written {{IPA|<ð>}})
*[[alveolar approximant]] {{IPA|[ɹ]}}
*[[retroflex approximant]] {{IPA|[ɻ]}} (a consonantal {{IPA|[ɚ]}})
*[[palatal approximant]] {{IPA|[j]}} (a consonantal {{IPA|[i]}})
*[[velar approximant]] {{IPA|[ɰ]}} (a consonantal {{IPA|[ɯ]}})
*[[uvular approximant]] {{IPA|[ʁ̞]}} (usually written {{IPA|<ʁ>}})
*[[pharyngeal approximant]] {{IPA|[ʕ̞]}} (a consonantal {{IPA|[ɑ]}}; usually written {{IPA|<ʕ>}})
*[[epiglottal approximant]] {{IPA|[ʢ̞]}} (usually written {{IPA|<ʢ>}})

==Lateral approximants==

*[[alveolar lateral approximant|voiced alveolar lateral approximant]] {{IPA|[l]}}
*[[voiceless alveolar lateral approximant]] {{IPA|[l̥]}}
*[[retroflex lateral approximant]] {{IPA|[ɭ]}}
*[[palatal lateral approximant]] {{IPA|[ʎ]}}
*[[velar lateral approximant]] {{IPA|[ʟ]}}

==Coarticulated approximants with dedicated IPA symbols==

*[[voiced labial-velar approximant|voiced labialized velar approximant]] {{IPA|[w]}} (a consonantal {{IPA|[u]}})
*[[voiceless labial-velar fricative|voiceless labialized velar approximant]] {{IPA|[ʍ]}}
*[[labial-palatal approximant|labialized palatal approximant]] {{IPA|[ɥ]}} (a consonantal {{IPA|[y]}})
*[[velarized alveolar lateral approximant]] {{IPA|[ɫ]}}

==A "central" approximant?==
Although many languages have [[central vowel]]s {{IPA|[ɨ, ʉ]}} which lie between back/velar {{IPA|[ɯ, u]}} and front/palatal {{IPA|[i, y]}}, there are no confirmed reports of corresponding approximants. However, [[Mapudungun]] may be a possibility: It has three high vowel sounds, {{IPA|/i/}}, {{IPA|/u/}}, {{IPA|/ɨ/}}, written "i", "u", "ü", and three corresponding consonants, written "y", "w", "q". The first two are clearly {{IPA|/j/}} and {{IPA|/w/}}. The "q" is often described as a voiced unrounded velar fricative, but some texts note a correspondence between "q" and {{IPA|/ɨ/}} that is parallel to {{IPA|/j/}}-{{IPA|/i/}} and {{IPA|/w/}}-{{IPA|/u/}}. An example is ''liq'' {{IPA|/'liɣ/}} "white".<ref>Listen to a [http://www.logosdictionary.org/sound/mp/5119539_n.wav recording]</ref>

== References ==
<references/>

==See also==
{{Wiktionary|approximant}}
* [[List of phonetics topics]]
* [[Semivowel]]

{{consonants}}

[[Category:Consonants]]

[[bn:নৈকট্য ব্যঞ্জনধ্বনি]]
[[br:Kensonenn dre dostaat]]
[[cs:Aproximantní souhláska]]
[[de:Approximant]]
[[es:Consonante aproximante]]
[[fr:Consonne spirante]]
[[ko:접근음]]
[[it:Consonante approssimante]]
[[he:עיצורים מקורבים]]
[[ja:接近音]]
[[no:Approksimanter]]
[[ro:Consoană sonantă]]
[[ru:Аппроксиманты]]
[[sv:Approximant]]
[[ta:உயிர்ப்போலி]]
[[zh:近音]]