Betreft: Labiodental approximant?

Maybe I can help you with the Dutch 'w'.

It start as a labiodental stop, but only for a very short
period of time.
Then it becomes an labiodental approximant (less
friction than with a fricative). In IPA it looks like
a raised b with a dot under it followed by a v with a hachek following it
(indicating that it has less friction than normal)

Rob

>>> James Campbell <james@...> 03/01 10:12  >>>
Request for help:

I always used to describe Jameldic "w" as being pronounced "halfway between
[English] v and w", but I'd like to clarify exactly what this sound is, and
how I should properly describe it. The upper teeth almost/just touch the
lower lip, where they would touch properly for /v/. Would this be a voiced
labiodental approximant (IPA upsilon)?

When I went to Holland a few years ago I discovered that Dutch "w" is very
similar, at least for some speakers; in Norway last year I initially thought
that Norwegian "v" was the same too, but later it seemed more like a
bilabial fricative for some speakers and straight /v/ for others. Experts,
please advise...

TIA

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james@zolid.com  James Campbell  Zeugma--Our Life Is Design  www.zolid.com
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