The goal of this study is to investigate the temporal extent of nasalization in French oral vowels followed by nasal consonants. The extent of this nasalization was expected to vary as a function of vowel height. Results of this study show that the temporal extent of nasalization is related not only to the height dimension but also to the front-back position of the tongue. More specifically, it is shown that mid-low [E] patterns with front high vowels [i, y], and that mid-low [O] patterns with back high vowel [u], implying that the mid-low vowels do not pattern together as would be expected were the extent of nasalization mainly related to the height dimension. Links between the articulatory gestures (velum opening, height and front-back positions of the tongue) and their timing are outlined in the discussion.