True or False: Nasalization in vowels is phonemically distinct in English.

In English, nasalization in vowels does not serve as a distinctive feature that can change the meaning of a word. Unlike some languages where nasalized vowels are phonemically distinct (for example, in languages like Portuguese or Hindi), in English, vowel nasalization typically occurs as a result of phonetic environments, such as the presence of nasal consonants, rather than being a phonemic feature that distinguishes one word from another.

While there may be instances where vowels become nasalized due to coarticulation effects (for example, in the presence of nasal sounds like /m/, /n/, or /ŋ/), this nasalization does not lead to a change in meaning between different words. Therefore, the assertion that nasalization in vowels is phonemically distinct in English is false.

The other options hint at various conditions that might affect vowel nasalization (such as dialectical variations or contextual influences), but none of these imply that nasalization serves as a distinct phoneme in English.