Id-4. HOW TO PRONOUNCE JAPANESE

Learn the correct way to pronounce Japanese names and terms in Tekken 5. This guide breaks down vowels, consonants, and unique sounds for accurate pronunciation.

This guide provides instructions on how to pronounce Japanese words and names, particularly relevant for understanding characters and terms in Tekken 5. The author aims to correct common mispronunciations encountered by players.

Vowels:

a

Pronounced like "ah," sometimes deeper in the throat or nasal, similar to the "aw" in "awe." In Osaka dialect (used by Asuka), it can be a nasal "ah."

i

Pronounced like "ee." If it appears between voiceless consonants or at the end of a word after a voiceless consonant, it is whispered and may seem to vanish.

u

Pronounced like "ooh." Similar to "i," it can be whispered and almost vanish when between voiceless consonants or at the end of a word after a voiceless consonant.

e

Pronounced like "eh," slightly more forward in the mouth than the English "eh." Avoid saying "ye."

o

Pronounced like "oh." Avoid adding extra vowels like "eoh" or "ow-uh."

Consonants:

k

Aspirated, with a puff of air, similar to the English "p."

ky

A combination of "k" followed by "y." For example, "kyu" sounds like "The Letter Q." It is not "kee" or "kye."

s

A "harder" "s" sound than in English.

sh

Pronounced as in "shoe."

z

A voiced "s" sound.

j

The English "j" sound, not like the German "j" or the linguistical [j].

t

Less aspirated than the English "t." English speakers may confuse "t" and "k" due to aspiration differences.

ch

Pronounced as in "church."

ts

Similar to the end of "let's," not the beginning of "tusk."

d

A voiced "t" sound.

n

Typically appears at the beginning of a syllable. A standalone nasal "n" exists and is explained later.

h

A more guttural, "harder" "h" than in English. An "h" after a vowel, especially "o," can lengthen the vowel sound.

f (kind of)

Similar to "f," but without touching teeth to the lower lip; more of a lip puckering and blowing sound.

hy

Pronounced like "hyuk." "Hyu" sounds like "Hugh." Not "high" or "hee."

b

Pronounced as in "boy."

by

A combination of "b" plus "y." "Byu" sounds like the start of "beauty." Not "bee" or "bye."

p

Pronounced as in "pen."

py

A combination of "p" plus "y." "Pyu" sounds like the start of "pupil." Not "pea" or "pie."

m

Typically appears at the beginning of a syllable. A nasal "m" variant of the standalone "n" exists.

my

A combination of "m" plus "y." Not like the English word "my" or "me."

y

Pronounced as in "yes."

r (no equivalent)

A flick of the tongue against the roof of the mouth behind the teeth, similar to a Romance language "r." Can sometimes sound like an "l," a cross between the two.

ry (no equivalent)

The Japanese "r" sound combined with the "y" sound. Not like "rye" or "ree." This is a difficult sound for non-native speakers.

w

Pronounced as in "water." The "wo" syllable is rarely pronounced with a distinct "w" in modern Japanese.

n (the French one)

A standalone nasal "n" where air passes through the nose. It can sound like a vowel. When used mid-word, it's denoted as "n'" (e.g., "shin'ou").

m (no equivalent)

A nasal "m" sound that occurs when the standalone "n" precedes a consonant formed with the lips.