Variation in reduction strategies of Dutch word-initial consonant clusters

The main goal of this thesis is to investigate between-individual and within-individual variation in consonant cluster reduction strategies (C ₁C₂ is realized as C₁ or C₂) among young children. The empirical base of the study is a Dutch database with over 9,000 instances of C₁ and C₂ realizations of 23 word-initial consonant clusters from 45 children aged between two and three years old. A major contribution of the thesis concerns the methodology of the study, in which both between- and within-child variation as well as between- and within-cluster variation are tested in a systematic way.; One of the findings is that within-child variation is very limited, whereas between-child variation occurs. Thus, although an individual child is consistent in his/her reduction strategy, there is a difference between children in the way clusters are typically reduced. Some clusters are always reduced in one particular way (e.g. /sp/, /sk/, /pl/, /pr/, /bl/, /br/, /tr/, /dr/, /kl/, /kr/, /fr/, /xr/, /tw/, /sw/). In other clusters, either target segment can be realized (e.g. /st/, /sx/, /sm/, /sn/, /sl/, /kn/, /fl/, /xl/). It was furthermore found that there are implicational relationships between some clusters, i.e., realizing C₂ in cluster x implies realizing C₂ in cluster y, but not vice versa.; Neither the difference between stable and variable clusters, nor the implicational relationships between some clusters, can be explained by the feature [sonorant] alone. Instead, the variation in reduction strategies is the result of a difference in prosodification, which is caused by the fact that some children tend to avoid onsets with similar structure in terms of sonority distance and place of articulation.; The perception of clusters was tested in a pilot study. The results suggest that it is not always correct to assume that a child has clusters underlyingly. In future research, a stronger focus must be put on the status of the child's prosodic and segmental representation. This can be done only if studies target both production and perception.