Speak Japanese clearly: free pronunciation test and tips
Find out how clear your Japanese pronunciation is. Take the free Japanese pronunciation test, get a score for every word you say, and learn the sounds Japanese learners find hardest. For daily practice, Flai Speaking gives you an AI coach to talk to in Japanese.
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The hardest parts of Japanese pronunciation
Long vowels
Japanese counts beats, and a long vowel takes two where a short one takes one. おばさん obasan (aunt) and おばあさん obāsan (grandmother) differ only in length, like 主人 shujin (husband) and 囚人 shūjin (prisoner). Hold long vowels for a full extra beat without making them louder.
Double consonants (small っ)
A small っ means a short silent pause before the next consonant, lasting one beat. 来て kite (come) and 切手 kitte (stamp) are different words, and so are さか saka (slope) and 作家 sakka (writer). Close your mouth for the consonant, count one beat, then release it.
The Japanese R
The Japanese r /ɾ/ is one quick flap of the tongue tip against the ridge behind your top teeth. It sits between English r, l and d (ラーメン rāmen, ありがとう arigatō). Don't curl your tongue back like the English R, and don't hold it like an L.
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