Neon colors illuminate reading units.

The effect of syllable-size reading units on neon color was investigated in 6 experiments. The stimuli consisted of 5- or 7-letter words or pseudowords with a syllable break either just before or just after the middle (target) letter. The target letter was overlaid with a plaid of red and green lines that gave it an ambiguous neon color. The letters preceding the target were overlaid with a monochromatic grid (red or green), and the letters following the target were overlaid with the other color. Ss were significantly more likely to judge the target as more similar to the color of other letters within its syllable than colors of letters outside that unit. The effect was shown not to be an artifact of guessing strategy or eye movements. Word structure determined by orthography and morphology affected neon colors, but no effect was found for purely phonological units.