Articulation of single and geminate consonants and its relation to the duration of the preceding vowel in Japanese

Japanese is a language that has contrasts between single and geminate consonants. This phonological contrast is claimed to affect the duration of the neighboring vowel so that the preceding vowel is phonetically longer before geminates. The present study examines the difference in articulatory manifestations between single and geminate consonants and their relation to the duration of the preceding vowel using an EMA system. The results showed that the tongue peak during CC occurs later than that during C for all speakers. However, the duration of the preceding vowel showed interpersonal variation. Thus, the later occurrence of peak timing per se does not directly affect the length of the preceding vowel. Other factors that may affect the duration of the preceding vowel are discussed.