Acoustic characteristics of spirant approximants in Spanish

The aim of this study is to present an acoustic description of the realizations of Spanish approximants in different contexts (after a vowel, after a liquid or after /s/), basing on the data for duration and intensity. This article also presents the results of the statistical analysis of four possible variants, i.e. open approximants, closed approximants, stops and fricatives. Approximants in general – and open approximants in particular – have shorter duration and higher intensity than any other obstruent having the same place of articulation. From a cognitive point of view, the analysis of approximants basing on their degree of openness (open, closed or vocalic) suggests that approximants build up a fuzzy category that has small intersections with stops and vowels, whereas it has a radial relationship with
fricatives.