Volume 1 · Chapter 01

Sounds and Kana

Hear mora timing, long vowels, small っ, and the kana you must recognize.

Japanese pronunciation is compact, but it is not English stress with Japanese words. The unit to feel is the mora: each kana beat gets time. Your goal is not handwriting. Your goal is to hear and read enough to start immersion without fossilizing bad timing.

The five vowels

Keep the vowels short and clean. Do not turn them into English diphthongs.

the five vowel sounds
same vowel row after k
し is “shi”, not “si”
ち is “chi”; つ is “tsu”
same vowel timing after m

Mora timing

Japanese rhythm is closer to even beats than English stress. These should feel evenly spaced:

two beats: su-shi
three beats: sa-ku-ra
five beats: a-ri-ga-to-u
four beats: ko-n-bi-ni

Long vowels matter

Hold long vowels for an extra beat. They can change the word.

aunt / middle-aged woman
grandmother / elderly woman
here
high school
snow
courage
hospital / clinic
bank

For kanji readers, long vowels are often where recognition fails. You may know 病院, but you still need to hear .

Small っ is a held stop

Small っ means stop your voice for one beat before the next consonant.

come
stamp / ticket, depending on kanji
slope
writer
wait, plain command
wait, te-form

ん adapts to the next sound

Do not force English “n”. Listen for how it changes.

にほん / Japan
しんぶん / newspaper
ぎんこう / bank
しんじゅく / Shinjuku
さんぷん / three minutes

Kana you must recognize fast

You do not need handwriting. You do need instant visual recognition for kana in menus, stations, apps, and subtitles.

駅 えき station 出口 でぐち exit 入口 いりぐち entrance 切符 きっぷ ticket Notice small っ before ぷ. 銀行 ぎんこう bank 病院 びょういん hospital / clinic

Shadowing lines

Shadow these until the timing feels even:

Randomized practice

Sound and Kana Practice

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  1. Listen

    Listen first. Which one has the long vowel?