cluster

cluster — 名詞

1. many items, people, or objects of a single kind placed very near one another, fr

1.名詞B2
釋義

群集

密集在一起的相似事物或人

many items, people, or objects of a single kind placed very near one another, frequently forming a compact unit

例句

A small cluster of wildflowers grew near the fence at the edge of the field.

一小簇野花長在田地邊緣的木籬笆旁。

cluster of [wildflowers/people/houses] — tight grouping of similar items

Ravi noticed a cluster of young fans waiting outside the stadium after the match.

Ravi 注意到一群年輕球迷賽後在體育館外面等著。

cluster of + plural noun — group of people close together

同義詞
  • bunch

    more informal; often used for things fastened or growing together (a bunch of flowers)

  • group

    more general and neutral; does not imply being physically close together

  • clump

    used for a dense mass, especially of plants or earth

文法句型

cluster + of + plural noun + verb

用法筆記

Often followed by 'of' + plural noun (e.g. a cluster of stars, a cluster of houses). The verb that follows can be singular or plural depending on whether the group is seen as one unit or as individual members.

常見錯誤

❌a cluster of people was waiting
✅A cluster of people were waiting.
💡British English often uses a plural verb with 'cluster of' when the focus is on the individuals.

2. a sequence of multiple consonant sounds spoken without any vowel coming between

2.名詞B2
釋義

子音群

連續兩個以上無母音間隔的子音

a sequence of multiple consonant sounds spoken without any vowel coming between neighbouring members — for instance, /spl/ at the start of 'splash'

例句

In phonics class, Amara pointed to 'spring' on the board and asked classmates to find the /spr/ cluster.

在語音課上，Amara 指著白板上的 'spring'，請同學們找出其中的子音群 /spr/。

consonant cluster — multiple consonants without an intervening vowel

Leila practised saying the cluster /ksθ/ until she could pronounce 'sixth' smoothly.

Leila 反覆練習子音群 /ksθ/，直到能順暢地說出 'sixth'。

difficult consonant cluster — common pronunciation challenge for learners

同義詞
  • consonant blend

    sometimes used interchangeably, though 'blend' can imply that each sound is still heard clearly

文法句型

consonant cluster + verb

用法筆記

Common in phonetics and language teaching. Languages differ greatly in which consonant clusters they allow; English permits clusters of up to three sounds at the start of a syllable (e.g. /str/ in 'strong') and up to four at the end (e.g. /ksθs/ in 'sixths').

常見錯誤

❌I added a vowel between the consonants.
✅I dropped a vowel between the consonants.
💡A cluster has no vowel between the consonants by definition.

cluster — 動詞