==H-cluster reductions== The h-cluster reductions are various consonant reductions that have occurred in the history of English involving consonant clusters beginning with /h/ that have lost the /h/ in certain varieties of English. Wh-cluster reductions The wine-whine merger is the merger of /ʍ/ or /hw/ (spelt wh) with /w/. It occurs in the speech of the great majority of English speakers. The hole-whole merger is the replacement of /ʍ/ with /h/ before the vowels /oː/ an… (More on Yod-coalescence)