ABSTRACT
Consonantsaresoundsmadewithclosedornearlyclosedarticulations. Asaconsequence,theytendtobreakupthestreamupspeech,defining aperceptualandarticulatory"edge",ormargin,foraunit(wordorsylIableinaword)thatincludesoneormorevowels.Complexmarginsare madeoftwoormoreconsonants.InEnglish,bothinitialandfinalmarginsmayincludemultipleconsonants-uptothreeinitiallyandupto fourfinally,asin:
/p/pill/sp/spill/pr/pram/spr/spray /t/till/st/still/tr/tram/str/stray /k/kill/sk/skill/kr/cram/skr/scray
/p/sap/lp/whelp/rp/harp /t/sat/lt/welt/rt/heart /k/sack/lk/whelk/rk/hark
/lps/whelps/rps/corpse /lts/welts/rts/courts /lks/whelks/rks/corks
/lpt/sculpt/rst/hurst /lpts/sculpts/rsts/hursts
ThenumberandcomplexityofclustertypesinEnglishpresentsanarea ofdifficultyformanynon-nativespeakers.
