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semivowel

[sem-ee-vou-uhl]

noun

Phonetics. a speech sound of vowel quality used as a consonant, as (w) in wet or (y) in yet.

Origin:
1520–30; semi- + vowel; replacing semivocal < Latin sēmivocālis half vowel

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To semivowel

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Semivowel is always a great word to know.

So is voiceless. Does it mean:

uttered without phonation

a movable organ, as the tongue, lips, or uvula, the action of which is involved in the production of speech sounds

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Collins

World English Dictionary

semivowel (ˈsɛmɪˌvaʊəl)

—n
1.	a vowel-like sound that acts like a consonant, in that it serves the same function in a syllable carrying the same amount of prominence as a consonant relative to a true vowel, the nucleus of the syllable.In English and many other languages the chief semivowels are (w) in well and (j), represented as y, in yell
2.	a frictionless continuant classified as one of the liquids; (l) or (r)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia

semivowel

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."

Learn more about semivowel with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Related Words

glide manner of articulation resonant

resonant sonorant

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semivowel

sem·i·vow·el