Template:Fricatives

Fricative
The fricatives are the consonants that are produced with a partial obstruction of the airflow in the air track. The stricture degree is partial, as the articulators are close, but not the enough to stop the air that pass trough them. However, as the airflow is forced to pass through a narrow space, it becomes turbulent due the friction generated. For this reason this turbulent release of air is denominated frication.

When they aren't sibilants, the fricatives usually have a softer pronunciation in comparison with the corresponding plosive, but a stronger sound in comparison to the corresponding approximant.

In some cases the distinction between the fricatives and approximant may be ambiguous, as occurs in the case of the Spanish approximant and the glottal fricatives.