Glides are speech sounds that involve a smooth transition from one sound to another, often resembling a vowel sound. They are produced by changing the shape of the mouth and the position of the tongue without any significant obstruction in the vocal tract. Common examples of glides include the sounds represented by the letters w and y in words like "water" and "yes." In phonetics, glides are classified as semi-vowels because they share characteristics with both vowels and consonants. They typically occur at the beginning of syllables and help to create a fluid connection between sounds, enhancing the overall flow of speech. Understanding glides is important for language learning and speech therapy.