In two experiments, we examined the influence of semantic activation o
n the generation of a phonological code, testing the interactivity ass
umption common to both dual-route and interactive-activation models. I
n Experiment 1, subjects named regular and irregular targets preceded
by related and unrelated primes. In Experiment 2, these variables and
target imageability were manipulated. Both relatedness and imageabilit
y interacted with regularity, indicating that semantic activity speeds
access to a phonological code.