Free Japanese pronunciation checker
Free Japanese Pronunciation Test: check every word you say
Read five short Japanese sentences aloud, with romaji under each one, or type any word you want to check. You get a score for every word, an overall score with accuracy, fluency and completeness, and a list of words to practise first.
Read this aloud:
リカさんは来週、ローマに旅行します。
Pronunciation: Rika-san wa raishū, Rōma ni ryokō shimasu.
Listen for: The Japanese R (Rika, ryokō)
Tap to record
Your recording is sent securely for scoring and is not stored by Flalingo.
Scores come from a standard native-speaker model for this language, so regional accents may score a little lower.
How to check your Japanese pronunciation
Each sentence in this Japanese pronunciation test is built around something learners find hard: the Japanese R, long vowels, double consonants, whispered vowels and pitch accent. Read it aloud and a speech model trained on native Japanese speakers compares every word you say with the text.
You get an overall score from 0 to 100, plus accuracy, fluency and completeness. Every word gets its own score, so you can see which ones sound off and start there. You can also type your own Japanese text, up to 160 characters, and check it the same way.
How the test works
Read five sentences aloud
Each sentence is short and built around sounds that learners of this language find hard. You can also type your own text, up to 160 characters, or tap one of the hard words to try.
AI scores every word
A speech-assessment model trained on native speakers compares what you say with the text. It scores accuracy, fluency and completeness from 0 to 100, and gives every word its own score.
Get your report
Each word is coloured by how close it was, and you see a short list of words to practise first. Record a sentence again to check your progress, then share your score with a friend.
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.
Whispered vowels
In standard Japanese, i and u are often whispered between voiceless consonants such as k, s, t, h and sh, and at the end of a sentence after one. です desu sounds like 'dess', 明日 ashita like 'ash-ta' and 下 shita like 'sh-ta'. Saying every vowel fully sounds careful but not natural.
Pitch accent
Japanese uses high and low pitch instead of strong stress. In Tokyo Japanese, 雨 ame (rain) starts high and falls, while 飴 ame (candy) starts low and rises. This test scores the sounds of each word but not pitch, so learn pitch by copying native audio.
What your pronunciation score means
| Score | Level | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | Excellent | Your words are clear and close to a native speaker. Try longer or harder sentences to keep improving. |
| 75–89 | Good | Easy to understand. A few words still stand out, so practise them one at a time. |
| 60–74 | Fair | Mostly understandable, but people may ask you to repeat some words. Start with the words in your practice list. |
| 0–59 | Needs work | Some words may be misunderstood. Slow down, practise the flagged words on their own, then say them in short phrases. |
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is this Japanese pronunciation checker?
It uses a speech-assessment model trained on native Japanese speakers. The model lines up your recording with the text, scores every word for accuracy and rates your fluency and completeness. It does not score pitch accent separately. Look for words that get flagged again and again rather than worrying about one low score.
Which Japanese accent is the test based on?
Scores are based on standard Japanese, which is close to the Tokyo accent used on TV and in textbooks. If you learned a regional accent such as Kansai, some words may score a little lower even when they are correct where you learned them.
How can I improve my Japanese pronunciation?
Focus on timing first: long vowels, double consonants and ん each take a full beat, and getting them right makes a big difference. Then work on the flapped R. Shadowing helps a lot: play a short native recording, speak along with it and record yourself.
Is the Japanese pronunciation test free?
Yes. The test and the word checker are free and you don't need an account. To keep it free for everyone, there is a small daily limit on checks.
Is Japanese pronunciation hard for English speakers?
The basic sounds are fairly easy: Japanese has only five vowels and a small set of consonants. The hard part is timing. Long vowels, double consonants and ん each take a full beat, and English speakers tend to shorten them. The flapped R and pitch accent take longer to master.
Do I need to learn Japanese pitch accent?
You can be understood without perfect pitch accent, because context usually makes the meaning clear. Good pitch makes you sound much more natural, though. This test checks sounds and timing, not pitch, so use it for vowel length, double consonants and the R, and learn pitch by shadowing native audio.