Which term describes insertion of a schwa into a stop-plus-liquid cluster?

• A. Assimilation
• B. Epenthesis
• C. Deletion
• D. Coalescence

Answer: (B)

Epenthesis is the process of adding an extra sound, often a vowel, to break up a consonant cluster. When a schwa is inserted between a stop and a following liquid, you’re seeing vowel epenthesis used to repair or simplify the syllable structure so the sequence fits the language’s phonotactics. This creates a more easily pronounceable onset or nucleus by turning the tricky stop-liquoid cluster into something like a CV or CVC pattern.

This differs from assimilation (where sounds become more like nearby sounds without adding anything), deletion (removing a sound), or coalescence (two sounds merging into a single new sound). So inserting a schwa to separate the stop and the liquid is epenthesis.