Approximants Summary

We have looked at approximants, which have similarities with vowels but which function as consonants in English. We have seen that two approximants, [j] and [w], are close to cardinal vowels. The other two approximants, [r] and [l], are very complex in their articulations, and in the range of possible articulations across varieties of English.

We have also discussed primary, secondary and double articulations. We have seen that approximants combine consonantal and vocalic elements in their articulation, and the vocalic elements are a property of the sounds in English: [j] always has palatalization; [w] always has labiovelarisation; [l] is darker or more velarized syllable finally than syllable initially; [r] typically has labialization and/or valorization as part of its phonetic make-up. We will see that secondary articulations are an important factor in the make-up of English sounds; but while approximants have inherent secondary articulations, most (but by no means all) other consonants share their secondary articulations with adjacent vowels.