In
linguistics, a
glide is a class of
speech sounds that is initially produced with the same articulation as a
vowel but then quickly shifts to another articulation. For this reason, glides are sometimes called "
semivowels."
The major types of glides are:
[j], the palatal glide: The tongue is raised, forcing air along the palate. Examples: the first sound in English "yes"; the first sound in German "Johan."
[¥], the labiopalatal glide: the dorsum of the tongue is raised towards the palate and the lips are rounded. Essentially, this sound is produced by holding the tounge as if to produce j and the lips as if to produce w. This sound is found primarily in French and several Chinese languages. Examples: the vowel-like sound in French "puis" and "huit."
[w], the voiced labiovelar glide: the larynx is unconstricted and the lips are briefly rounded before widening. Examples: the first sound in English "will" and "wait."
[hw], the voiceless labiovelar glide: identical in articulation to the voiced labiovelar glide, except the larynx is not engaged. Examples: "which," "what," and "white" in some English dialects; the first word of Beowulf, "hwæt"