Editing Voiced labial–velar approximant (section)

{{short description|Consonantal sound represented by ⟨w⟩ in IPA}}
{{redirect|w (IPA)|consonants followed by superscript ʷ|Labialization}}
{{Infobox IPA
|above = Voiced labial–velar approximant
|ipa symbol=w
|ipa number=170
|decimal=119
|x-sampa=w
|kirshenbaum=w
|braille=w
|imagefile=IPA Unicode 0x0077.svg
}}
{{Infobox IPA
|above=Compressed labial–velar approximant
|ipa symbol = w͍
|ipa symbol2 = ɰᵝ
|showbelow = no
}}

The '''voiced labial–velar approximant''' is a type of [[consonant]]al sound, used in certain [[Speech communication|spoken]] [[language]]s, including English. It is the sound denoted by the letter {{angbr|w}} in the English alphabet;<ref>{{Citation|url=http://www.u.arizona.edu/~ohalad/Phonetics/docs/TransGuid.PDF |title=Guidelines for Transcription of English Consonants and Vowels}}; ''see'' the examples on the fifth page.</ref> likewise, the symbol in the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] that represents this sound is {{angbr IPA|w}}, or rarely {{IPA|[ɰʷ]}}, and the equivalent [[X-SAMPA]] symbol is <code>w</code>. In most languages it is the [[semivowel|semivocalic]] counterpart of the [[close back rounded vowel]] {{IPA|[u]}}. In inventory charts of languages with other [[labialized velar consonant]]s, {{IPA|/w/}} will be placed in the same column as those consonants. When consonant charts have only labial and velar columns, {{IPA|/w/}} may be placed in the velar column, (bi)labial column, or both. The placement may have more to do with phonological criteria than phonetic ones.{{sfnp|Ohala|Lorentz|1977|p=577}}

Some languages have a '''voiced labial–prevelar approximant''',{{efn|Instead of "pre-velar", it can be called "advanced velar", "fronted velar", "front-velar", "palato-velar", "post-palatal", "retracted palatal" or "backed palatal".}} which is more fronted than the place of articulation of the prototypical voiced labialized velar approximant, though not as front as the prototypical [[labialized palatal approximant]].