Several of you have asked questions about the correct pronunciation of Japanese words and names…
Here is an easy guide to Japanese pronunciation:
http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~bestor/easy_pronunciation.htm
Or here (same thing as on website):
A (relatively) easy guide to Japanese pronunciation
Spoken Japanese consists of simple syllables, generally consisting of a vowel, or a consonant plus a vowel. There are few complex consonant clusters. All vowels and consonants have consistent pronunciation. Consonants are crisply pronounced.
Vowels are always pronounced the same way; long vowels (usually marked in English transliteration with a macron ("ū," or as two vowels "ou") are simply longer in duration (actually two syllables), the sound doesn't change:
| a = as in father | A-sa-ku-sa -- Tokyo place |
| i = as in eat | Ni-hon-ba-shi -- Tokyo place |
| u = as in food or zoo | U-e-no – Tokyo place |
| e = as in end | E-do – name of Tokyo before 1868 |
| o = as in Ohio | O-cha-no-mi-zu – Tokyo place |
The consonant sounds are:
| k = as in cat | A-ka-sa-ka – Tokyo place |
| g = as in gourd | Gin-za – Tokyo place |
| s = as in Sue | E-bi-su – Tokyo place |
| sh = as in seashore | Shi-ta-ma-chi – Tokyo area |
| z = as in zoo | Zen |
| j = as in Jack | San-gen-ja-ya – Tokyo place |
| t = as in tick | To-ra-no-mon – Tokyo place |
| ts = this is one of the tricky ones; think tsetse fly. | Tsu-ki-ji – Tokyo place |
| ch = as in chicken | Chi-yo-da – Tokyo place |
| n = as in new | Ni-hon – "Japan" |
| h = as in have | Ha-ra-ju-ku – Tokyo place |
| f = another slightly tricky one; think of "who" with an f sound | Fu-ji-san – Mt. Fuji |
| b = as in Boeing | O-da-i-ba – Tokyo place |
| p = as in party, pea, Poe | I-p'pon-ba-shi – Tokyo place |
| m = as in mama | Ma-ru-no-u-chi – Tokyo place |
| ya = as in yahoo, yeoman, | Ya-su-ku-ni – Tokyo shrine |
| r = the trickiest one – more like a "d" than an "r" (as in a British butler saying "very good, madam") ** | Ro-p'pon-gi – Tokyo place |
| w = as in wander | Su-mi-da-ga-wa – Sumida River |
Sometimes syllables are made up of a combination of a consonant and a semi-vowel (ya, yu, yo) – as in Tōkyō, Kyōto, gyūniku (beef), etc.—resist the temptation to pronounce these as Tokiyo, Kiyoto, giyuniku – the consonant plus semi-vowel sound be a single syllable. Think of kyu and the English word "cute"
All syllables receive the same amount of stress or emphasis. (For most Americans that means pronouncing Japanese without any stress or emphasis.)
"yo-ko-ha-ma" NOT "yo-KA-HA-ma"
"mi-tsu-bi-shi" NOT "meats-U-bi-shi"
"Ko-i-zu-mi" NOT "COY-zumi"
You can almost always divide the syllables after a vowel. (exception: some syllables end in "n" (shinbun = newspaper) (Nihon = Japan); sometimes a consonant is doubled (Roppongi – Tokyo place; or Hatchōbori – Tokyo place), which actually represents two syllables (pronounced with a slight pause– Ro-p'pon-gi; Ha-t'cho-o-bo-ri).
** this one is the source of the stereotypical difficulties that some Japanese have with pronouncing "L" and "R") – a Japanese "r" is NOT an English 'rolled r' (i.e., NOT "Ralph likes Rock 'n Roll").
Thanks for your time!
Heide Fernandez-Llamazares
Museum Educator and Docent Coordinator
hllamazares@TacomaArtMuseum.org
TACOMA ART MUSEUM
1701 Pacific Avenue
Tacoma, Washington 98402
T: 253.272.4258 x3018
F: 253.627.1898
www.TacomaArtMuseum.org
Become a Member Today!
