Pronounce Japanese
- a like the "a" in "father".
- i like the "i" in "machine".
- u like the "oo" in "boot".
- e like the "e" in "bet".
- o like the "o" in "cone".
- k like the "k" in "kite".
- s like the "s" in "sit".
- t like the "t" in "ten".
- n like the "n" in "net".
- h like the "h" in "hat".
- m like the "m" in "mat".
- y like the "y" in "yet".
- r like the "r" in "red"
- w is like the "w" in "water"
- g is like a voiced "k".
- z is like a voiced "s".
- d is like a voiced "t".
- b is like a voiced "p".
- p is like the "p" in "pit".
Japanese words are pronounced one syllable at a time. Each syllable is separated by a mora, which is a unit of sound that is roughly equivalent to a beat.
Japanese has a distinctive pitch accent, which means that the pitch of the voice rises and falls on certain syllables. The pitch accent varies from region to region, but the basic pattern is that the pitch rises on the first syllable of a word and then falls on the second syllable.