Maybe by contrast to other Germanic languages, but I think it’s got kind of a lot compared to most languages. A four-consonant cluster isn’t unusual in English. Though I can’t think of any English four-consonant clusters where three out of four consonants are plosives.
Four consonant clusters? I can only think of words with three, like strengths.
rhythm? if u count the y?
If we’re talking phonology, then the y is definitely a vowel. That would have only a two consonant cluster: thm (the th is one consonant phonetically).
Now I want to play Scrabble™.
A four-consonant cluster isn’t unusual in English.
Yep. There certainly are English words like ‘prankster’, ‘bootstrap’, ‘constrain’ and even ‘postscript’, so it seems I was wrong. Maybe the difference (as far as Indoeuropean languages go at least) has more to do with precisely what clusters are allowed where in the word (initially, medially or finally). It seems that Russian words can begin with the cluster ‘mgl-’! (‘Mgla’ means ‘mist’ in Russian, apparently.) In Swedish I think that could only occur medially in compunds (like ‘Hemglassbil’).
/Felx
I’ve never resurrected a decade-old topic before, so am partly doing this out of badness, but I can’t believe there is no authoritative answer here! @zarf
Rhymes with “flulx”.
Haha – sounds like “blulx”?
sounds like “blulx”?
An understandable error, but “blulx” is actually prononounced “Bletchlesford”.
I say “glux,” but not because it’s correct. I just don’t like the sound or mouth feel of “glulx”
I’ve never used it in verbal conversation, but I hear it in my head as glue-lux or glue-licks.
This is reminding me of that game (rhymes with Cyan Reader’s Mystic Rye Seasoning) where cryptograms are spoken over a telephone, and I still wonder today (1) how would that actually sound and (2) how did I understand what was actually said?
And how the magic word XYZZY is purportedly spoken out loud to activate it, but nobody knows the exact pronunciation. I assume that was the Imps’ intention!
I can’t believe there is no authoritative answer here! @zarf
I think this is as close to a canonical answer as we’ve seen.
And how the magic word XYZZY is purportedly spoken out loud to activate it, but nobody knows the exact pronunciation.
(See also.)
In another WIP I have the magic word XYZZY pronounced as “Eggs! Why Zed, Zed why?”. Any resemblance to real persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
(Sorry, that deserved more than just a like.)