MORA AND KANA Accent Intonation
Learn key pronunciation tips for Japanese! Understand moras—rhythmic units like syllables—and how kana correspond to sound. Master equal timing and natural speech with these essential basics.
Alice Edwards
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MORA AN D KANA (syllabary and sound)
If you're learning Japanese, you may be f o c u s e d on w r i t i n g or g r a m m a r , but
it's i m p o r t a n t to r e m e m b e r to practice pronunciation as well, especially
because it is so different from English. Good pronunciation will help you be
better understood, and your Japanese will sound more natural. In this post, I
outline 6 i m p o r t a n t pronuncation points to learn, r e m e m b e r , and practice, as
you i m p r o v e your Japanese speaking skills!
MORAS
Japanese has moras, which are similar to syllables, but they are r h y t h m i c
units (for more on moras, click here}. Each mora is pronounced with equal
stress and for the same d u r a t i o n of time. This is i m p o r t a n t to r e m e m b e r f o r
later points. Although there are some exceptions, one kana (a hiragana or
katakana character) is usually one mora. Except for A (n), each kana is
either a vowel sound, or a consonant + vowel sound together.
For the most part, one kana = one mora (or beat). However, there are
exceptions like ( k y a h (kyu), (kyo}. These are one mora each.
You can visually differentiate them from others t h r o u g h the small (ya},
(yu), or j; (yo) characters that follow a bigger kana. In the hiragana chart
below, they are listed in the bottom one third of the page.
5 VOWELS
There are 5 vowel_sounds which do not change. As m e n t i o n e d above, except
for one, every kana is a either just a vowel sound, or a consonant + a vowel.
In the hiragana chart, you'll see the five vowel sounds across the top: (a),
U (i), 0 (u), X. (e), fc- (o) . In the left-hand column, you'll see a series of
consonants beginning in the second row: k, s, t, and so on. Each of these
consonants combines with the vowel sound in that colum. So, for example,
the 'k' sound plus the 'a' sound is 'ka' ( fr), the 't' sound plus the 'e' sound is
'te' ( X ) .
Because each kana includes one of the 5 vowel sounds (each of which never
change), it's cruicial to pronounce all 5 of them correctly.
Hiragana Chart*****
If you're learning Japanese, you may be f o c u s e d on w r i t i n g or g r a m m a r , but
it's i m p o r t a n t to r e m e m b e r to practice pronunciation as well, especially
because it is so different from English. Good pronunciation will help you be
better understood, and your Japanese will sound more natural. In this post, I
outline 6 i m p o r t a n t pronuncation points to learn, r e m e m b e r , and practice, as
you i m p r o v e your Japanese speaking skills!
MORAS
Japanese has moras, which are similar to syllables, but they are r h y t h m i c
units (for more on moras, click here}. Each mora is pronounced with equal
stress and for the same d u r a t i o n of time. This is i m p o r t a n t to r e m e m b e r f o r
later points. Although there are some exceptions, one kana (a hiragana or
katakana character) is usually one mora. Except for A (n), each kana is
either a vowel sound, or a consonant + vowel sound together.
For the most part, one kana = one mora (or beat). However, there are
exceptions like ( k y a h (kyu), (kyo}. These are one mora each.
You can visually differentiate them from others t h r o u g h the small (ya},
(yu), or j; (yo) characters that follow a bigger kana. In the hiragana chart
below, they are listed in the bottom one third of the page.
5 VOWELS
There are 5 vowel_sounds which do not change. As m e n t i o n e d above, except
for one, every kana is a either just a vowel sound, or a consonant + a vowel.
In the hiragana chart, you'll see the five vowel sounds across the top: (a),
U (i), 0 (u), X. (e), fc- (o) . In the left-hand column, you'll see a series of
consonants beginning in the second row: k, s, t, and so on. Each of these
consonants combines with the vowel sound in that colum. So, for example,
the 'k' sound plus the 'a' sound is 'ka' ( fr), the 't' sound plus the 'e' sound is
'te' ( X ) .
Because each kana includes one of the 5 vowel sounds (each of which never
change), it's cruicial to pronounce all 5 of them correctly.
Hiragana Chart*****
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World Languages