noun
- speech sounds that function as consonants but are produced like vowels, such as the sounds represented by ‘w’ and ‘y’
Usage: linguistics; phonetics
Examples
- The letters ‘w’ and ‘y’ represent semivowels in English.
- Semivowels are produced with less constriction than true consonants.
- In the word ‘yes’, the ‘y’ functions as a semivowel.
- Linguists classify semivowels as a type of approximant consonant.
- The semivowels in English can appear at the beginning of syllables.
- Students often confuse semivowels with regular vowels in phonetics class.