Japanese language has no tones and most sounds can be found in English.  Syllables are pronounced evenly so there is no need to indicate stresses syllables.  Vowels in Japanese can be either short or long.  The long vowels should be held twice as long as the short vowels and are commonly represented with a horizontal line above the vowel.  The vowel length is important, as it can change the meaning of a word (for example, o·ji·san means uncle whereas o·jī·san means grandfather).  The vowel “u” is sometimes not pronounced, usually when it falls between “k” and “s” or in verb endings such as des(u) and mas(u).  Consonant sounds are very similar to English.  As with long vowels, double consonants need to be pronounced clearly and failure to do so may produce a different meaning (for example, sa·ka means slope whereas sak·ka means writer).  Double consonants are pronounced with a short pause between each consonant.

  

Hiragana  Katakana  Kanji  Back

Lonely Planet Language Guides