Which of the following is a common English coda cluster?

• A. -rk
• B. -st
• C. -sp
• D. -lt

Answer: (B)

In English, a syllable can end with a cluster of two consonants, a pattern known as a coda cluster. The most productive and widely attested two-consonant coda is the sequence s followed by t, as in words like last, fast, mist, post, and ghost. This combination is easy to articulate at the end of a syllable and is heard frequently across many common words, which is why it’s considered a typical English coda cluster.

The other patterns can occur, but they’re not as common in everyday word endings. rk shows up in words like work and mark, sp appears in lisp and wasp, and lt appears in salt or melt, but these clusters are less pervasive in the lexicon as final consonant sequences. Therefore, the s–t ending stands out as the most typical and frequent coda cluster in English.