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Approximants are an especially interesting group of consonants. They consist of four separate types, traditionally termed lateral approximants, rhotic (or central) approximants, semi-vowels, and frictionless continuants. The contributors to The Phonetics and Phonology of Approximants examine the phonetics and phonology of this diverse group of sounds and also look at the question of whether they should, in fact, be grouped together.

Part 1 of this four-part volume contains seven chapters dealing with the general characteristics of approximants: their articulatory features, acoustics, and perception, together with phonological and sociolinguistic aspects, concluding with surveys of approximant systems in the languages of the world and means of transcribing them phonetically. Part 2 has five chapters examining the acquisition of approximants (in Maltese, Spanish, Portuguese, and English) and the effects of speech disorders of different types on the production of these sounds. Part 3 describes approximant systems in a variety of the languages of the world, including several Indo-European languages but also examples of Dravidian, Semitic, Uralic, and Sinitic languages, and languages from Africa, South America, and Australia. The final part contains a single chapter that examines the approximant category phonetically and phonologically, asking whether the approximant consonant group is justified.

The Phonetics and Phonology of Approximants offers a holistic yet detailed understanding of the fascinating concept of approximants and its many implications.