Sonorant

In phonetics and phonology, a sonorant is a speech sound that is produced with relatively free airflow through the vocal tract. Sonorants are generally voiced, meaning the vocal cords vibrate during their production. The defining characteristic of sonorants is that they are not produced with significant constriction in the vocal tract, which distinguishes them from obstruents.

Sonorants typically include:

• Nasals: Sounds produced by lowering the velum, allowing air to escape through the nose. Examples include /m/, /n/, and /ŋ/ (as in "sing").

• Liquids: Sounds characterized by a vocal tract constriction that is less narrow than that for fricatives. The airflow is relatively unobstructed, but not as free as with vowels. Examples include /l/ and /r/.

• Glides (or Semivowels): Sounds that are produced with a glide-like movement of the articulators from a more constricted position toward a more open vowel-like position. Examples include /w/ and /j/ (as in "yes").

• Vowels: Sounds produced with a relatively open vocal tract, allowing air to flow freely. Examples include /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/. Although considered separate categories, vowels are often considered the most sonorous of all speech sounds.

The term "sonorant" is used to group these sounds together because they share the property of being inherently voiced and having relatively open vocal tracts. This contrasts with obstruents, which are produced with significant constriction of airflow. The sonorant/obstruent distinction is fundamental in phonological analysis and plays a role in syllable structure, phonotactic constraints, and other aspects of sound patterns in language.