Editing Consonant cluster (section)

== English ==
In [[English language|English]], the longest possible initial cluster is three consonants, as in ''split'' {{IPA|/ˈsplɪt/}}, ''strudel'' {{IPA|/ˈstruːdəl/}}, ''strengths'' {{IPA|/ˈstrɛŋkθs/}}, and "squirrel" {{IPA|/ˈskwɪrəl/}}, all beginning with  {{IPA|/s/}} or {{IPA|/ʃ/}},  containing {{IPA|/p/}}, {{IPA|/t/}}, or {{IPA|/k/}}, and ending with {{IPA|/l/}}, {{IPA|/r/}}, or {{IPA|/w/}}{{efn|If the {{angbr|ew}} {{IPA|/juː/}} is thought of as consonant plus vowel rather than as a diphthong, three-consonant clusters also occur in words such as ''skew'' {{IPA|/ˈskjuː/}}}}; the longest possible final cluster is five consonants, as in ''angsts'' ({{IPA|/ˈæŋksts/}}),{{cn|date=September 2023}} though this is rare (perhaps owing to being derived from a recent German loanword<ref name="AngstEtymology">{{cite web|last1=Harper|first1=Douglas|title=angst|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=angst|website=Online Etymology Dictionary|access-date=17 March 2016|ref=4}}</ref>). However, the {{IPA|/k/}} in ''angsts'' may also be considered [[epenthesis|epenthetic]]; for [[prince–prints merger|many speakers]], nasal-sibilant sequences in the [[syllable#Coda|coda]] require insertion of a voiceless stop [[homorganic consonant|homorganic]] to the nasal. For speakers without this feature, the word is pronounced without the {{IPA|/k/}}. Final clusters of four consonants, as in ''angsts'' in other dialects ({{IPA|/ˈæŋsts/}}), ''twelfths'' {{IPA|/ˈtwɛlfθs/}}, ''sixths'' {{IPA|/ˈsɪksθs/}}, ''bursts'' {{IPA|/ˈbɜːrsts/}} (in [[Rhoticity in English|rhotic accents]]) and ''glimpsed'' {{IPA|/ˈɡlɪmpst/}}, are more common. Within compound words, clusters of five consonants or more are possible (if cross-syllabic clusters are accepted), as in ''handspring'' {{IPA|/ˈhændsprɪŋ/}} and in the Yorkshire place-name of ''[[Hampsthwaite]]'' {{IPA|/hæmpsθweɪt/}}.{{cn|date=September 2023}}

It is important to distinguish clusters and [[Digraph (orthography)|digraphs]]. Clusters are made of two or more consonant ''sounds'', while a digraph is a group of two consonant ''letters'' standing for a single sound. For example, in the word ''ship'', the two letters of the digraph {{angbr|sh}} together represent the single consonant {{IPA|[ʃ]}}. Conversely, the letter {{angbr|x}} can produce the consonant clusters {{IPA|/ks/}} (annex), {{IPA|/gz/}} (exist), {{IPA|/kʃ/}} (sexual), or {{IPA|/gʒ/}} (some pronunciations of "luxury"). It is worth noting that {{angbr|x}} often produces sounds in two different syllables (following the general principle of saturating the subsequent syllable before assigning sounds to the preceding syllable).  Also note a combination digraph and cluster as seen in ''length'' with two digraphs {{angbr|ng}}, {{angbr|th}} representing a cluster of two consonants: {{IPA|/ŋθ/}} (although it may be pronounced {{IPA|/ŋkθ/}} instead, as {{angbr|ng}} followed by a voiceless consonant in the same syllable often does); ''lights'' with a silent digraph {{angbr|gh}} followed by a cluster {{angbr|t}}, {{angbr|s}}: {{IPA|/ts/}}; and compound words such as ''sightscreen'' {{IPA|/ˈsaɪtskriːn/}} or ''catchphrase'' {{IPA|/ˈkætʃfreɪz/}}.