This video teaches you all you need to know about the 4 approximant sounds in English. All four sounds are voiced consonant sounds. First, we have /w/, a voiced bilabial velar approximant. Next up, we have /j/, a voiced palatal approximant. Both together, /w/ and /j/ are also often called semi-vowels or glides because they behave a lot like vowel sounds.

Then we have a look at /r/ and /l/. These two sounds can be quite confusing for many learners of English. Both are formed close to the alveolar ridge but there is one important difference: in /r/ there is no contact of the tongue to the alveolar ridge (the little bump behind your top teeth). However, with /l/ the tip of the tongue makes clear contact, and the air is released past the side of the tongue through the mouth.

We look at typical spelling patterns and, most importantly, some typical minimal pairs for /l/ and /r/. At the end there is also a little test for you! Can you hear the difference between /l/ and /r/?

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