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2.2.15. j, w
j 和 w 是半元音。
The sounds represented by j and w are semivowels in English.
j 与后面的元音相连，相当于在那个元音前面加上了一个 ɪ，比如 you /juː/，读音上相当于是 /iuː/。
When j is connected to the following vowel, it is as if an ɪ sound is added in front of that vowel. For instance, the word you /juː/, pronounced the same as /ɪuː/.
w 与后面的元音相连，相当于在那个元音前面加上了一个 ʊ，比如 way juː，读音上相当于是 ʊeɪ。
Similarly, when w is paired with a vowel, it's as if a ʊ sound precedes that vowel. Take the word way /weɪ/, pronounced the same as /ʊeɪ/.
w 可以和另外的辅音结合作为音节开头：sw、tw、dw、kw、skw、gw…… 这其中最容易出错也最常的是 kw，尤其是 kwɒ 和 kwɔː，比如，quart /kwɔːt/，常常会被误读为 /kɔːt/（听起来和 court 同音）；再比如，quality /ˈkwɔːlɪti/常常会被误读为 /ˈkɔːlɪti/ —— 关键在于，k 的音之后有一个发出 ʊ 的嘴唇动作，否则 kw 就变成了 k —— 这个差异在母语使用者听起来异常地明显。
The letter w can combine with other consonants to form the beginning of a syllable, such as sw, tw, dw, kw, skw, gw… The most common and often mispronounced combination is kw, specifically kwɒ and kwɔː. For example, the word quart is pronounced /kwɔːt/, but it is often misconstrued as /kɔːt/, which sounds like court, or quality /ˈkwɔːlɪti/ as /ˈkɔːlɪti/. The key to getting this right is to make a lip movement for the ʊ sound after the k sound; otherwise, kw just becomes k. This distinction is incredibly noticeable to native speakers.