Phonotactics

Phonotactics is a branch of phonology which deals with the permissible sound sequences in a language. In phonotactics permissible syllable structure, consonant and vowel sequences can be defined with phonotactic constaints. Phonotactic constraints are language specific.

The consonant clusters /gn/ and /kn/ are not permitted in word-initial position in English, but are in Swedish. For example, the Swedish words kniv (knife) and gnista (spark) have the consonant  clusters at the beginning of the word. In English, they only occur word-medially as in weakness and magnet.

In Spanish the consonant cluster /st/ never occurs word-initially. The Spanish word for student is estudiante. However, the Spanish word muelle (wharf) begins with /mw/, a consonant cluster which never occurs word-initially in English.

English onsets have a maximum of three consonants. Examples of words with three consonants include school, squeeze and street. In Japanese onsets are restricted to one consonant The Japanese onset is thus CV or V. To show that the consonant is optional, this can be represented as (C)V.

Due to the phonotactic constraints of each language, syllable structures which are not allowed can be repaired. For example, the Swedish and Norwegian name Knut has the cluster /kn/ in word-initial permission. Since this cannot occur in English, the sequence is repaired with an epenthetic schwa. This can be represented with the spelling Canute.

Every language has phonotactic constraints which determine the sound sequences which may occur. They determine the syllable structure, consonant and vowel sequences of the language. In the  case of foreign words with different sound sequences, the sequences can be repaired.