Consonant Cluster

Consonant Cluster

A consonant cluster is a group of two or three or more consonants uttered together without the intrusion of any vowel sound between them.

Kinds:

            A consonant cluster occurs at the beginning or end of a syllable. A cluster forms a syllable only with a vowel.

Illustration:

Word                          Transcription                         Cluster                                    Kinds

Beast                           / biːst/                                     -st                                Final cluster.

List                              / lɪst/                                       -st                                Final cluster.

Best                             / best/                                      -st                                Final cluster.

Apple                          / æpl/                                       -pl                                Final cluster.

Start                            / stɑːt/                                                -st                                Initial Cluster.

Post                             /pɑst    /                                   -st                                Final Cluster

Stall                             /stɔːl/                                       st-                               

Initial Cluster

Stood                          /stʊd/                                      st-                                Initial Cluster

School                         /skuːl/                                      sk-                               Initial Cluster

Must                            /mʌst/                                      -st                                Final Cluster

Mercy                          /mɜːsɪ/                                    -sɪ                                Final Cluster

           

In English, there is a maximum of three consonant clusters following or preceding the nucleus.

Spring                          /sprɪŋ/                                      spr-                              Initial Cluster

Scream                                    /skrɪːm/                                   skr-                              Initial Cluster

Spread                         /spred/                                     spr-                              Initial Cluster

Midst                           /mɪdst/                                                -dst                              Final Cluster

Next                            /nekst/                                      -kst                              Final Cluster

Acts                             /ækts/                                       -kts                              Final Cluster

           

            In English, there is a maximum of four consonant clusters following the nucleus:

Sixths                          /sɪksθs/                                    -ksθs                            Final Cluster

Twelfths                      /twelfθs/                                  -fθs                              Final Cluster

            Note:

It is enough if the clusters are identified.

                        Transcription need not be given.