Sounds · 4 min
Five Japanese sounds English speakers get wrong
つ, the ざ row, ふ, the ら row and the vowel う — each one differs from its nearest English equivalent.
つ — not "tsu" as in "tsunami"
The most-missed sound. つ is ts + u, and English only allows ts at the end of a word — "cats", "bits". At the start it gets flattened to "s" or "ch".
A trick: say "cats", then stop right after the ts and add a short u. That is close to つ. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth and releases.
Note that ち (chi) and つ (tsu) have genuinely different consonants, despite sitting in the same row.
Practice: つき (moon), つくえ (desk), いつ (when)
ざ row — the start of a word is the hard part
ざ・じ・ず・ぜ・ぞ are voiced. English has the sound — the z in "zoo", the s in "pleasure" — so this is easier than for many learners.
The trap is ず and づ. English speakers tend to produce "zu" with a pure z, but Japanese ず at the start of a word carries a light d onset, closer to "dzu".
Likewise じ is closer to the j of "jeans" than to the s of "measure", especially word-initially.
Practice: ざっし (magazine), じかん (time), ぜんぶ (everything)
ふ — neither h nor f
ふ is the odd one in the は row. は・ひ・へ・ほ are close to English h, but ふ is made by blowing between the two lips.
Do not put your upper teeth on your lower lip as you would for English f. Round the lips gently, as if blowing out a candle, and let the air pass between them.
The result is much softer than either "hoo" or "foo". Easing off the force is the whole technique.
Practice: ふゆ (winter), ふたつ (two), とうふ (tofu)
ら row — one light tap, not an R
ら・り・る・れ・ろ are a single light tap of the tongue tip against the ridge behind the teeth. The tongue neither curls back as in English R nor stays planted as in L.
You already make this sound: it is the tt in American "butter" or the dd in "ladder". Say "butter" quickly and isolate that flap.
Trying to produce an English R is what makes learners sound off. Keep it short and light.
Practice: らいねん (next year), りんご (apple), れんしゅう (practice)
う — the lips stay unrounded
Japanese う is not the "oo" of "food". The lips stay nearly flat rather than pushing forward into a circle.
It sits somewhere between English "oo" and the vowel in "good", pronounced with a relaxed mouth. Rounding hard is an instant giveaway.
At the end of a word — the す in です and ます — the vowel nearly disappears. It lands closer to "des" than "desu". This is called devoicing.
Practice: うみ (sea), くつ (shoes), です (to be)