This perceptual study describes changes in how listeners perceive VCV elements within successive truncations taken from an iambic phrase containing l (e.g. "a leaf", or "a load") spoken by four male speakers of General American English. Evidence of the respective roles of dorsal gestural affiliation between l and the reduced vowel, (V[subscript 1]CV[subscript 2]), and gestural separation from a tautosyllabic high front vowel (V[subscript 2]) were demonstrated. Coproduction of dark-l with a preceding reduced vowel was evident in early reports of back vowels or diphthongs, particularly when the carrier word contained a front vowel, and was noted more in darker-l than lighter-l speakers. The pairing of l with a tautosyllabic front vowel reduced earlier identification of l, whereas its pairing with a back vowel enhanced early identification. The role of perceived contrast in identification of l was reflected in changes in listener's perception of the reduced vowel across successive truncations. Clinical implications are addressed. (Contains 3 tables and 6 figures.)