Abstract
Breaking in West Frisian is a process where falling diphthongs [iÉ™], [iÉ™], [uÉ™] and [oÉ™] are converted to the corresponding rising (broken) diphthongs [jr], [jε], [wo] and [wa] under the influence of a following syllable or consonant cluster. The length of various diphthongs in several pairs of morphologically related words was measured for ten speakers, and the duration of the broken or unbroken diphthong in the derived word was compared with that of the base word. We found that there was reduction in the length of the diphthong in all cases where another syllable was added. The degree of shortening depended on factors such as the phonetic environment, the nature of the diphthong and the type of suffix which was affixed. Several tentative conclusions were reached regarding the relationship of shortening and breaking and the historical development of the process.