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Sounds can definitely make a difference in determining how a possessive is marked, such as in names. For example, in the last names below
Sailers
Dickens
one would not normally write (as a singular possessive) this:
Sailers's
Dickens's
as it becomes a 'difficult word to pronounce. In my studies on this (when I was teaching Fussiness Grammar at a local business college - in addition to my high school English teaching), it becomes a matter of choice. Say the word Dickens's or Sailers'sout loud. It becomes readily apparent that they sound awkward.
Rather, what the 'experts' have stated is that one should write the singular possessive in this way (using specifically the two examples from above):
Sailers'
Dickens'
One is still referring to the singular possessive (as well as relying upon context, of course).
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