Previous research has shown that a strong–weak syllable distinction may play an important role in word segmentation. Cutler and Norris [JEP:HPP 14, 113–121 (1988)] asked subjects to identify words at the beginnings of two syllable nonwords. Subjects were faster to identify a word when the second syllable was weak than when it was strong. The present study included lax vowels in addition to the tense and neutral vowels previously used to form the second syllables. The lax vowel produces a strong syllable of short duration; something not previously present. By comparing word identification for items in which the second syllable is strong with either a tense or lax vowel to the weak syllables, the relative roles of strong versus weak syllables and vowel duration can be explored. To the extent that tense and lax vowel syllables produce equivalent effects, strong syllables act as a cue to word boundaries in English. [Work supported by NIDCD Grant No. DC00219 to SUNY at Buffalo.]