Pronunciation Guide
Updated:
March 27, 2010
In Japanese, each syllable should be prounced independently without stress. For instance, おきなわ (Okinawa) should be "o-ki-na-wa"
| Hiragana | Roman | Phonetic | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
あ |
a |
"ah" like "nah" | sounds like the exclamation "ah" |
い |
i |
"e" like "eat" | sounds like the letter "E" |
う |
u |
"oo" like "moon" | sounds like exclamation "eww!" |
え |
e |
"eh" like "egg" | sounds like the interogative "eh?" |
お |
o |
"oh" like "oboe" | sounds like the interogative "oh?" |
Some kana carrying specific rules. The romanized letters for the hiragana ふ are sometimes written fu and sometimes hu, however the sound is a soft hu sound