Spontaneous lifetime control is demonstrated using very small apertured microcavities, with quantum-dot light emitters used to obtain electronic confinement within the aperture. A factor of 2.3 increase in the averaged spontaneous emission rate is achieved due to the optical confinement. The enhancement/inhibition ratio of the spontaneous emission rate tracks the optical mode size and spectral response of the apertured microcavity. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)01817-3].