The Representation of sC Sequences in English: A PfP Perspective

Abstract

This paper re-examines the phonological status of English /s/+stop sequences (/sp, st, sk/) within the framework of Precedence-free Phonology (PfP). While these sequences are traditionally analysed as consonant sequences, they exhibit phonotactic properties that distinguish them from other sC combinations, including their restricted distribution across word positions and their apparent violation of the Sonority Sequencing Principle. Previous analyses within Government Phonology and the Strict CV framework have offered important insights into these patterns, proposing accounts based on empty nuclei or melodic spreading. Building on these observations, the present study argues that /s/+stop sequences are best analysed as singleton segments with internally complex structure. Within PfP, phonological representations are defined in terms of hierarchical dependency relations among elements, without recourse to linear ordering. Under this view, /sp, st, sk/ are interpreted as single |ʔ|-headed domains containing multiple resonance elements, whose phonetic realisation involves the temporal staggering of acoustic cues. This analysis provides a unified account of their distributional behaviour and offers a way of relating these patterns to their phonetic properties. More broadly, the findings are consistent with a precedence-free approach to phonological representation and suggest a possible perspective on the structure of sC sequences in English.