Editing Semivowel (section)

==Contrast with fricatives/spirant approximants==
According to the standard definitions, semivowels (such as {{IPA|[j]}}) contrast with [[fricative]]s (such as {{IPA|[ʝ]}}) in that fricatives produce turbulence, but semivowels do not. In discussing [[Spanish language|Spanish]], Martínez Celdrán suggests setting up a third category of "spirant approximant", contrasting both with semivowel approximants and with fricatives.{{sfnp|Martínez Celdrán|2004|p=6}} Though the spirant approximant is more constricted (having a lower [[formant|F2]] amplitude), longer, and unspecified for rounding (''viuda'' {{IPA|[ˈb'''ju'''ða]}} 'widow' vs. ''ayuda'' {{IPA|[aˈ'''ʝʷu'''ða]}} 'help'),{{sfnp|Martínez Celdrán|2004|p=208}} the distributional overlap is limited. The spirant approximant can only appear in the syllable onset (including word-initially, where the semivowel never appears). The two overlap in distribution after {{IPA|/l/}} and {{IPA|/n/}}: ''enyesar'' {{IPA|[ẽɲ'''ɟʝ'''eˈsaɾ]}} ('to plaster') ''aniego'' {{IPA|[ãˈn'''j'''eɣo]}} ('flood'){{sfnp|Trager|1942|p=222}} and although there is dialectal and idiolectal variation, speakers may also exhibit other near-minimal pairs like ''ab'''ye'''cto'' ('abject') vs. ''ab'''ie'''rto'' ('opened').{{sfnp|Saporta|1956|p=288}} One potential minimal pair (depending on dialect) is ''ya visto'' {{IPA|['''(ɟ)ʝa'''ˈβisto]}} ('already seen') vs. ''y ha visto'' {{IPA|['''ja'''ˈβisto]}} ('and he has seen').{{sfnp|Bowen|Stockwell|1955|p=236}}
Again, it is not present in all dialects. Other dialects differ in either merging the two or enhancing the contrast by moving the former to another [[place of articulation]] ({{IPA|[ʒ]}}), like in [[Rioplatense Spanish]].