Consonant Cluster (SS1 English Language)

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A cluster is a group of similar things or people positioned or occurring closely together.

A consonant cluster–also simply called a cluster–is when two or more consonant sounds are placed side by side in a word without a vowel sound in between.

Consonant Clusters are also known as consonant blends.

A consonant cluster has a free structure. It is a group of two or more consonant sounds that come before (onset), after (coda) or between medial vowels.

It may occur with two or three initial consonants and two to four at the final stage of a word.

In consonant cluster analysis, the consonant that appears before the vowel is called Onset. The vowel after the cluster is called Medial and the consonant at the end is called Coda.

In spoken English and rhetoric, consonant clusters are often truncated naturally to increase the speed or eloquence of speech.

Terms 

• Onset Cluster

This consonant cluster occurs when two or three consonants appear at the initial before the vowel.

• Coda Cluster

It is the cluster that appears at the end or after a vowel, it can be two, three, or four consonants.

• Medial

It is the vowel that appears either in-between onset and/or coda.

Consonant Cluster’s Structure

CCV

CCCV

CCCVCC

CCCVCCC

CCCVCCCC

Key

Onset: C

Medial: V

Coda: C

Where C stands for Consonant and V for vowel.

Examples 

Two Consonant Clusters at the initial

1. Flay- /fleI/ -fl
2. Stake – /steɪk/ – st
3. Snore – /snɔː/ – sn
4. Snack- /snak/ – sn
5. Steve- /stiːv/- st
6. Stand- /stand/ – st
7. Crab – /krab/ – kr
8. Treat- /triːt/ -tr
9. Glove- /ɡlʌv/-gl
10. Scare- /skɛː/ -sk
11. Sweet- /swiːt/- sw
12. Dwarf- /dwɔːf/ dw
13. Blue- /bluː/ – bl
14. Tree- /triː/ – tr
15. Glance- /ɡlɑːns/ – gl

Three Consonant Clusters at the initial

1. Spry /sprai/ – spr
2. Scream- /skriːm/ – skr
3. Strike- /strʌɪk/ – str
4. Strap- /strap/ str
5. Spray- /spreɪ/ spr
6. Scroll- /skrəʊl/ skr
7. Spring- /sprɪŋ/- spr
8. Strip- /strɪp/ – str
9. Scram- /skram/ skr
10. Spruce- /spruːs/ – spr
11. Squeeze- /skwiːz/- skw
12. Square- /skwɛː/ – skw
13. Splash- /splaʃ/- spl

Two Consonant Clusters at the final

1. Ask /ɑːsk/ – sk
2. Dusk -/dʌsk/ -sk
3. Rank- /ræŋk/ -ŋk
4. Went- /went/- nt
5. Lost- /lɒst/- st
6. Sand- /sænd/ -nd
7. Belt-/belt/ -lt
8. Hand-/hand/ -nd
9. Around- /əˈraʊnd/-nd
10. Wasp -/wɒsp/-sp
11. Bunk- /bʌŋk/- ŋk
12. Bilge- /bɪldʒ/-ldʒ
13. Realm- /rɛlm/- lm
14. Milk- /mɪlk/-lk
15. Deduct /dɪˈdʌkt/-kt

Three Consonant Clusters at the final

1. Lamps /lamps/ – mps
2. Builds /bɪlds/ – lds
3. Roasts /rəʊsts/- sts
4. Nests- /nests/ -sts
5. Wasps- /wɒsps/- sps
6. Fists- /fɪsts/- sts
7. Toasts- /təʊsts/-sts
8. Uncle- /ʌŋkl/ -ŋkl
9. Jungle- /dʒʌŋɡl/- ŋɡl
10. Prompt- /prɒmpt/-mpt

Four Consonant Clusters at the final

1. Twelfths – /twelfθs/ – lfθs
2. Glimpsed /ɡlɪmpst/ -mpst
3. Prompts  /prɒmpts/- mpts
4. Texts  /teksts/ -ksts
5. Attempts /ətempts/-mpts
6. Tempts /tempts/ – mpts
7. Sculpts- /skʌlpts/- lpts
8. Sixths- /sɪksθs/ – ksθs
9. Scrunched /skrʌntʃd/ – ʌntʃd
10. Thousandths /θaʊznθs/ – znθs
11. Pre-empts /priˈempts/ – mpts

Importance of Consonant Clusters

1. It is a technique used in differentiating words. For instance, when you say ‘Fact’ and ‘Act’ you do not mean the same thing grammatically and pronunciation-wise. You have created a distinction in meaning due to the clusters in the words.
2. It is also used for grammatical markers. For instance, Context (Singular noun) and contexts (Plural noun)
3. Once you do not pronounce the clusters in words correctly, it sounds more like you have a poor Spoken English or Grammar identity.
4. It can also confuse listeners; they are not sure what you are saying if the word is not well-pronounced.
5. Most times missing a consonant in a word can lead to grammatical mistakes, either in written or spoken format.

Kindly Note:

A Consonant Cluster is not the same as a consonant digraph. A Consonant Digraph has two consonant letters pronounced as one. Words with sh or th in most cases are digraphs.

Examples:

Should – /ʃʊd/

Shampoo- /ʃamˈpuː/

Shirt – /ʃəːt/

Thread – /θrɛd/

Thought- /θɔːt/

Three – /θriː/

In the case of consonant clusters, you can hear the two consonant sounds/letters pronounced individually in the word and not as one sound.

Do not be lazy with word pronunciation. Pronouncing words correctly is as important as the meaning we need to convey!

Need more English lessons?

Check out this post on Preposition and prepositional phrases.