Learn Japanese vocabulary by typing words and phrases from flashcards. The flashcard summary allows you to check your progress and select flashcards to learn.
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Phonetic Symbols in Japanese Pronunciation
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) provides a standardized set of symbols to represent the sounds of spoken language. Below are the IPA symbols for Japanese pronunciation, with examples and descriptions, including the pronunciation of these sounds in English.
Japanese Vowels
- /a/ - as in あめ (ame), pronounced /a.me/ (similar to "a" in father /ˈfɑːðər/)
- /i/ - as in いぬ (inu), pronounced /i.nu/ (like "ee" in see /siː/)
- /u/ - as in うみ (umi), pronounced /u.mi/ (similar to "oo" in boot /buːt/)
- /e/ - as in えび (ebi), pronounced /e.bi/ (like "e" in bed /bɛd/)
- /o/ - as in おとこ (otoko), pronounced /o.to.ko/ (like "o" in not /nɒt/)
Japanese Consonants
- /k/ - as in かぜ (kaze), pronounced /ka.ze/ (like "k" in cat /kæt/)
- /ɡ/ - as in がっこう (gakkou), pronounced /ɡak.koː/ (like "g" in go /ɡoʊ/)
- /s/ - as in さくら (sakura), pronounced /sa.ku.ra/ (like "s" in see /siː/)
- /z/ - as in ぞう (zou), pronounced /zoː/ (like "z" in zebra /ˈziːbrə/)
- /t/ - as in たべもの (tabemono), pronounced /ta.be.mo.no/ (like "t" in top /tɒp/)
- /d/ - as in でんしゃ (densha), pronounced /den.ʃa/ (like "d" in dog /dɒɡ/)
- /n/ - as in ねこ (neko), pronounced /ne.ko/ (like "n" in net /nɛt/)
- /h/ - as in はな (hana), pronounced /ha.na/ (like "h" in hat /hæt/)
- /m/ - as in みず (mizu), pronounced /mi.zu/ (like "m" in man /mæn/)
- /r/ - as in りんご (ringo), pronounced /riŋ.ɡo/ (like a tapped "r" or "d" sound, somewhat similar to the "tt" in butter in American English)
- /w/ - as in わかる (wakaru), pronounced /wa.ka.ru/ (like "w" in water /ˈwɔːtər/)
- /j/ - as in やま (yama), pronounced /ja.ma/ (like "y" in yes /jɛs/)
Japanese Consonant Clusters
- /ɕ/ - as in しろ (shiro), pronounced /ɕi.ro/ (like "sh" in shoe /ʃuː/)
- /t͡ɕ/ - as in ちかてつ (chikatetsu), pronounced /t͡ɕi.ka.te.tsu/ (like "ch" in cheese /tʃiːz/)
- /ɸ/ - as in ふね (fune), pronounced /ɸu.ne/ (similar to "f" in fun /fʌn/, but with both lips)
- /dz/ - as in あずま (adzuma), pronounced /ad͡zu.ma/ (like "ds" in adds /ædz/)
Unique Features of Japanese Pronunciation
While Japanese pronunciation shares some similarities with other languages, it has unique features that are important for learners to understand.
- Pitch Accent: Unlike English stress accent, Japanese uses pitch accent to distinguish words. For example, はし (hashi, bridge) /ha.ɕi/ vs. はし (hashi, chopsticks) /ha.ɕi/.
- Vowel Length: Similar to Czech, Japanese has short and long vowels, which can change the meaning of a word. For example, おばさん (obasan, aunt) /o.ba.san/ vs. おばあさん (obaasan, grandmother) /o.baː.san/.
- Gemination: Consonant length can also change word meaning. For example, きて (kite, come) /ki.te/ vs. きって (kitte, stamp) /kit.te/.
- Syllabic Nasal: The sound /ɴ/ is unique in Japanese, appearing at the end of syllables and often causing nasalization of preceding vowels, such as in かんじ (kanji) /kaɴ.dʑi/.
- Mora Timing: Japanese is a mora-timed language, meaning that each mora (a unit of sound that determines syllable weight) takes up roughly the same amount of time. This gives Japanese its rhythmic and steady tempo, distinct from the stress-timed nature of English.
- Palatalization: Certain consonants, when followed by the vowel /i/, become palatalized. For instance, き (ki) is pronounced /ki/, while the sequence し (shi) is pronounced /ɕi/, showing a palatalized s-sound.
- Elision: In casual speech, certain sounds may be dropped, especially vowels. For example, です (desu, is) might be pronounced /des/ without the final /u/ in informal contexts.
- Lack of L and V sounds: Japanese does not have the /l/ and /v/ sounds, which can be challenging for Japanese speakers learning English. These sounds are often replaced with /r/ and /b/, respectively.