How to Pronounce Japanese Word Accents63

Japanese is a tonal language, which means that the pitch of your voice can change the meaning of a word. There are two main types of accents in Japanese: pitch accent and word accent. Pitch accent refers to the pitch of a syllable within a word, while word accent refers to the pitch of a word within a sentence.

Pitch accent

There are two main types of pitch accents in Japanese: high and low. High accents are indicated by a macron (¯) over the vowel, while low accents are indicated by a breve (˘) over the vowel. For example, the word "sushi" is pronounced with a high accent on the first syllable (すし), while the word "sashimi" is pronounced with a low accent on the first syllable (さしみ).

The pitch of a syllable can also affect the meaning of a word. For example, the word "hashi" means "bridge" when pronounced with a high accent on the first syllable (はし), but it means "chopsticks" when pronounced with a low accent on the first syllable (はし).

Word accent

Word accent refers to the pitch of a word within a sentence. In Japanese, the pitch of a word is typically higher at the beginning of a sentence and lower at the end. For example, the word "sushi" is pronounced with a higher pitch at the beginning of a sentence (スシ) and a lower pitch at the end of a sentence (すし).

The pitch of a word can also be used to express emotion. For example, a word can be pronounced with a higher pitch to express excitement or surprise, or with a lower pitch to express sadness or anger.

How to pronounce Japanese word accents

The best way to learn how to pronounce Japanese word accents is to listen to native speakers and imitate their pronunciation. There are also a number of resources available online that can help you learn how to pronounce Japanese word accents.

Here are some tips for pronouncing Japanese word accents:
Pay attention to the pitch of the syllables in a word.
High accents are indicated by a macron (¯) over the vowel, while low accents are indicated by a breve (˘) over the vowel.
The pitch of a word can also affect the meaning of a word.
The pitch of a word is typically higher at the beginning of a sentence and lower at the end.
The pitch of a word can also be used to express emotion.

With a little practice, you will be able to pronounce Japanese word accents like a native speaker.

2025-01-15

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