Skip to content
Kotowari

Pronunciation Guide

Unvoiced Sounds (清音 せいおん)

あ(a)い(i)う(u)え(e)お(o)
かきくけこ
さしすせそ
なにぬねの
たちつてと
はひふへほ

Voiced Sounds (濁音 だくおん)

あ(a)い(i)う(u)え(e)お(o)
がぎぐげご
ざじずぜぞ
だぢづでど
ばびぶべぼ

Pronunciation Tips:

Unvoiced Sounds (清音):

Think of these as "whispered" sounds - your vocal cords don't vibrate. They're crisp and clear, like a gentle breath.

Voiced Sounds (濁音):

Add vibration from your vocal cords. Place your hand on your throat - you should feel it vibrate when making these sounds.

Practice Pattern:

Practice each row horizontally (か→き→く→け→こ), focusing on maintaining the same mouth position while just changing the vowel shape.

Core System Architecture

Japanese pronunciation follows a predictable pattern system with clear validation rules. This guide provides implementation details for correct sound production.

1. Base Sound Units (モーラ)

Japanese processes sounds in fixed-length units called モーラ (mora). Each mora follows one of these patterns:

V   : Single vowel (あ、い、う、え、お)
CV  : Consonant + Vowel (か、き、く、け、こ)
CyV : Consonant + や/ゆ/よ + Vowel (きょ、しゃ、ちゅ)
N   : Solo ん
Q   : Consonant gemination っ

1.1 Vowel System Implementation

Five core vowels with consistent values:

あ/a/ : Open central    [ɑ] - like "father"
い/i/ : Close front     [i] - like "meet"
う/u/ : Close back      [ɯ] - like "boot" but unrounded
え/e/ : Mid front       [e] - like "pet"
お/o/ : Mid back        [o] - like "go"

1.2 Consonant System Implementation

Basic consonant patterns:

k: か き く け こ - Voiceless velar stop
s: さ し す せ そ - Voiceless alveolar fricative
t: た ち つ て と - Voiceless alveolar stop
n: な に ぬ ね の - Voiced alveolar nasal
h: は ひ ふ へ ほ - Voiceless glottal fricative
m: ま み む め も - Voiced bilabial nasal
y: や    ゆ よ   - Voiced palatal approximant
r: ら り る れ ろ - Voiced alveolar flap
w: わ       を   - Voiced labial-velar approximant

2. Pattern Validation Rules

2.1 Mora Timing

Each mora occupies one timing unit:

か.え.る (ka.e.ru) = 3 units
きょ.う (kyo.u)    = 2 units
にっ.ぽん (nip.pon) = 3 units (っ creates gemination)

2.2 Pitch Accent Implementation

Each word carries a pitch pattern:

High → Low  : はし＼ (bridge)   HA-shi
Low → High  : はし／ (chopsticks) ha-SHI

3. Special Pattern Handlers

3.1 Consonant Gemination (っ)

Implementation:

1. Pause briefly before following consonant
2. Maintain timing unit for っ
3. Double following consonant duration


Example:
がっこう (gak.kou) = ga[pause]kkou

3.2 Moraic Nasal (ん)

Implementation:

1. Before vowels: [n]
2. Before labials (p/b/m): [m]
3. Before velars (k/g): [ŋ]
4. Word-final: [ɴ]


Example:
せんぱい (senpai) = se[m]pai

4. Integration Patterns

4.1 Word Boundary Processing

1. Maintain mora timing across boundaries
2. Reset pitch pattern for each word
3. Preserve particle attachment rules


Example:
わたし＼は → wa.ta.SHI.wa

4.2 Sentence Pattern Flow

1. Start with base pitch
2. Apply word patterns
3. Integrate particle effects
4. Maintain question intonation if needed


Example:
これは本です。
ko.RE.wa HON.de.su

5. Common Error Prevention

5.1 Type Validation Errors

ERROR: Extending vowel length incorrectly
FIX: Match mora timing exactly


ERROR: Adding stress instead of pitch
FIX: Use pitch changes only, no stress


ERROR: Breaking mora timing
FIX: Maintain consistent unit length

5.2 Implementation Debugging

1. Check mora boundaries
2. Verify pitch patterns
3. Validate special character handling
4. Test particle integration

6. Practice Implementation

6.1 Basic Pattern Practice

1. Single mora repetition
   か か か か か


2. Mora combination
   か + い = かい


3. Word formation
   は + な = はな

6.2 Integration Practice

1. Word boundaries
   わたし + の = わたしの


2. Particle attachment
   ほん + は = ほんは


3. Complete sentences
   これ + は + ほん + です

7. Success Validation

You’ve successfully implemented the pronunciation system when:

  1. Mora timing is consistent
  2. Pitch patterns are natural
  3. Special characters process correctly
  4. Word boundaries maintain proper flow
  5. Sentence intonation sounds native

Further Implementation Notes

  • Practice each pattern in isolation before integration
  • Record and compare with native implementations
  • Debug pronunciation issues systematically
  • Build complexity gradually from basic patterns

Remember: Consistent implementation of these patterns creates natural-sounding Japanese. Focus on systematic practice rather than memorization.