Three types of diphthongization

Diphthongization of vocalic syllable nuclei is not a process of one kind. In Dutch, for instance, diphthongization can be of three different types, depending on whether the syllabic nucleus is a long vowel, a genuine diphthong, or a vowel + semivowel sequence. The perceptual and acoustic aspects of these differences are well documented in the literature. This paper complements the description with some articulatory data, based on electromyographic recordings of extrinsic tongue muscle activity in relation to the three types of diphthongization. [Work supported by NINCHDS grant NS 13870 and NFWO, Belgium.]