Spanish letter u ![Includes sound files!](../../../../images/Paul%20Joyce/soundmin2.gif)
This letter can exhibit two sounds: /w/ (Voiced labio-velar approximant) and /u/ (Close back rounded vowel)
Its manner of articulation is approximant, which means it is produced by narrowing the vocal tract at the place of articulation, but not enough to produce a turbulent airstream. The type of approximant is glide or semivowel. The term glide emphasizes the characteristic of movement (or 'glide') of /w/ from the /u/ vowel position to a following vowel position. The term semivowel emphasizes that, although the sound is vocalic in nature, it is not 'syllabic' (it does not form the nucleus of a syllable).
And it occurs when the 'u' is not stressed and before or after 'a', 'e', 'o'; and before 'i'
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