Timing constraints and coarticulation: alveolo-palatals and sequences of alveolar + [j] in Catalan.

General articulatory characteristics and V-to-C coarticulatory effects for alveolo-palatals [n], [lambda] versus sequences [nj], [lj] in Catalan VCV utterances have been measured at the point of maximum alveolar contact and over time by means of dynamic palatography. Data show that the amount of V-to-C coarticulation in tongue dorsum contact varies inversely with the duration of the temporal lag between the periods of alveolar closure and palatal closure. Results support the view that coarticulation is affected by contrasting timing constraints on articulatory activity.