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Question

Difficulty: MediumConsonant Clusters

Orthographic spelling can obscure the actual phonetic structure of a word, particularly when silent letters are present. Which of the following words ends with a final consonant cluster consisting of exactly three consonant sounds?

  1. A
    doubts
  2. depthsAnswer
  3. C
    plumbs
  4. D
    knights

Answer

The word 'depths' ends with a final cluster of three consonant sounds (/p/, /θ/, /s/).
In spoken English, 'depths' is transcribed phonetically as /depθs/. Following the vowel sound /e/, there are three consecutive articulated consonant sounds (/p/, /θ/, and /s/), creating a final three-consonant cluster.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Transcribe each option phonetically to analyze the spoken sounds rather than relying on written spelling.
'doubts' -> /daʊts/, 'depths' -> /depθs/, 'plumbs' -> /plʌmz/, 'knights' -> /naɪts/.
Consonant clusters refer exclusively to sequences of articulated consonant sounds without an intervening vowel.
2
Identify and exclude unpronounced silent letters in each word.
The letter 'b' is silent in both 'doubts' and 'plumbs', while 'gh' is silent in 'knights'.
Silent orthographic characters do not contribute to phonetic consonant cluster counts.
3
Count the final sequence of consonant sounds following the main vowel sound in each word.
'doubts' ends in 2 consonant sounds (/t/, /s/); 'plumbs' ends in 2 consonant sounds (/m/, /z/); 'knights' ends in 2 consonant sounds (/t/, /s/); 'depths' ends in 3 consonant sounds (/p/, /θ/, /s/).
Selecting 'depths' satisfies the requirement for a final three-consonant cluster structure.

Key Concept

Phonetic Consonant Clusters and Silent Letters
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Topics

Consonant Clusters

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