In
phonetics and
phonology, a
semivowel or
glide is a sound phonetically similar to a
vowel sound but functions as the
syllable boundary, rather than as the
nucleus of a syllable. Examples of semivowels in English are the consonants
y and
w, in
yes and
west. Written in
IPA, y and w are near to the vowels
ee and
oo in
seen and
moon, written in
IPA.