English and French listeners were tested on discrimination and open-response categorization of laryngeal contrasts in three non-native syllable onsets differing in gestural complexity, in particular in the phasing between laryngeal and supralaryngeal articulations. All onsets involved a lateral, which was combined with a coronal stop in two contrasts. Results support the view that syllable onsets are perceived as holistic articulatory patterns, in which voicing is more difficult to perceive separately as gestural complexity of the onset increases.