0.1. Aim of Ms research. In recent years, the formal elements of Dutch Intonation have been laid down in two comprehensive models ('t Hart, Collier and Cohen 1990, Gussenhoven and Rietveld 1992). With these two formal models at our disposal, the stage seems set for further explorations, notably of the relationship between form and function. The present study focused on acoustic correlates of a major functional contrast', viz. the contrast between declarativity and interrogativity, two functions featuring prominently in everyday communication. Generally speaking, declarative utterances are used for making announcements, relating events, stating conclusions and so on. By contrast, interrogative utterances make a direct appeal to a listener for a reply. While declarative utterances usually have the most basic form of clause available in a language, interrogativity may be marked by special syntactic and/or lexical means, in particular by Inversion of subject and finite verb or by the presence of a question word. These, however, are by no means the sole indicators of the contrast between declarativity and interrogativity. It is assumed that Intonation, also, plays an important role, notably in interrogative utterances lacking the lexico/syntactic devices of interrogativity ('declarative questions'). Thus, if Dutch interrogativity has intonational characteristics of its own, it seems plausible for such characteristics to be stronger as lexico/ syntactic marking for interrogativity is weaker. For the purpose of our research, declarativity and interrogativity are seen as forming a continuum, with Statements (S) at one extreme end, and declarative questions (D) at the other; in between are the wh-questions (W, marked both by question word and Inversion) and yes/no questions (Y, marked by Inversion only). Our objectives were (i) to determine to what extent the acoustic properties of interrogativity· are different from those of declarativity, and (ii) to pinpoint possible acoustic differences among the question types themselves. Also, we wished to ascertain to what extent such acoustic characteristics still need to be incorporated into the two formal models of Dutch Intonation mentioned above.