Glides and Semivowels

L220

Glides include speech sounds where the airstream is frictionless and is modified by the position of the tongue and the lips. Glides and semivowels are very similar to vowels. The difference between vowels and glides and semivowels lies in the structure of the syllable. Vowels occur at the peak of the syllable--the most sonorous part of the syllable. Glides immediately precede a vowel; they are less sonorous than the vowel they precede. Semivowels immediately follow a vowel in the syllable. These too are less sonorous than a vowel. Glides tend to be 'stronger' than semivowels. There are two basic glides/semivowels:

1. palatal, high unrounded: "y" as in yes and in boy
2. labial, high rounded: "w" as in win and cow

There are a few variants of these sounds. Consult your textbook or any other textbook on phonetics for a detailed description and discussion of these variants.

Go to:

• chart of the basic sounds of English

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1. sonorants
2. phonetics