ABSTRACT
A problem frequently encountered in studies of syllable boundary placement is
that of inconsistency, that is, variation in subject responses when syllabifying
given consonant clusters. In this empirical study we examine the degree and
range of this variation, and the impact of pre- and post consonant cluster vowels
on syllable boundary placement. Analysis showed high levels of syllable boundary
variation between different cluster types, as well as a marked difference in
the perception of syllable onsets and offsets. Syllable boundary movement due
to the contextual of vowels was also found, due to both vowel type and aperture.
We believe that these results point to a wider approach to syllabification than
that traditionally held, involving interactions between vowels and the consonant
cluster in the process of syllable onset detection.