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Help:IPA/Japanese

{{IPA key|H:IPA-JA}}

The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Japanese language pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. For a guide to adding IPA characters to Wikipedia articles, see Template:IPA and {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Pronunciation#Entering IPA characters}}.

Examples in the charts are Japanese words transliterated according to the Hepburn romanization system.

See Japanese phonology for a more thorough discussion of the sounds of Japanese.

style="vertical-align: top;"

|

{| class="wikitable" style="margin-right: 2em;"

|+ Consonants

rowspan="2" | IPA

! colspan="2" | Example

! rowspan="2" | English approximation

Kana

! Romanization

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|b}}

| {{lang|ja|ばしょ, {{nowrap|かびん}}, {{nowrap|ヴァージョン}}}}

| basho, kabin, vājon

| about

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|bʲ}}

| {{lang|ja|びょうき}}

| byōki

| rebuke

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ç}}

| {{lang|ja|ひと, {{nowrap|ひょう}}}}

| hito, hyō

| hue

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɕ}}

| {{lang|ja|した, {{nowrap|いっしょう}}}}

| shita, isshō

| sheep

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|d}}

| {{lang|ja|どうも, {{nowrap|どうどう}}}}

| dōmo, dōdō

| today

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|dz}}{{refn|name=yotsugana|Voiced fricatives {{IPA|[{{IPAplink|z}}, {{IPAplink|ʑ}}]}} are generally pronounced as affricates {{IPA|[{{IPAplink|dz}}, {{IPAplink|dʑ}}]}} in utterance-initial positions and after the moraic nasal {{IPA|/N/}} ({{IPAblink|n}} before {{IPA|[dz]}} and {{IPAblink|ɲ}} before {{IPA|[dʑ]}}) or the sokuon {{IPA|/Q/}} (only in loanwords). Actual realizations of these sounds vary (see Yotsugana).}}

| {{lang|ja|ざぜん, {{nowrap|あんぜん}}, {{nowrap|キッズ}}}}

| zazen, anzen, kizzu{{refn|name=gemination|When an affricate consonant is geminated, only the closure component of it is repeated: {{IPA|[kiddzɯ, eddʑi, ittsɯi, kettɕakɯ]}}.}}

| cards

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|dʑ}}{{refn|name=yotsugana}}

| {{lang|ja|じょじょ, {{nowrap|かんじゃ}}, {{nowrap|エッジ}}}}

| jojo, kanja, ejji{{refn|name=gemination}}

| jeep

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɸ}}

| {{lang|ja|ふじ}}

| fuji

| phew!

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɡ}}{{refn|name=g|A declining number of speakers pronounce word-medial {{IPAslink|ɡ}} as {{IPAblink|ŋ}} {{harvcol|Vance|2008|p=214}}, but {{IPA|/ɡ/}} is always represented as {{IPA|[ɡ]}} in this system.}}

| {{lang|ja|がっこう, {{nowrap|りんご}}, {{nowrap|ぎんこう }}}}

| gakkō, ringo, ginkō

| again

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɡʲ}}

| {{lang|ja|きぎょう}}

| kigyō

| argue

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|h}}

| {{lang|ja|ほん, {{nowrap|はは}}}}

| hon, haha

| hat

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|j}}

| {{lang|ja|やくしゃ, {{nowrap|ゆず}}}}

| yakusha, yuzu

| yacht

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|k}}

| {{lang|ja|くる, {{nowrap|はっき}}}}

| kuru, hakki

| skate

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|kʲ}}

| {{lang|ja|きょうかい, {{nowrap|けっきょく}}}}

| kyōkai, kekkyoku

| skew

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|m}}

| {{lang|ja|みかん, {{nowrap|せんぱい}}, {{nowrap|もんもん}}}}

| mikan, senpai, monmon

| much

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|mʲ}}

| {{lang|ja|みゃく}}

| myaku

| mute

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|n}}

| {{lang|ja|なっとう, {{nowrap|かんたん}}}}

| nattō, kantan

| not

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɲ}}

| {{lang|ja|にわ, {{nowrap|こんにゃく}}, {{nowrap|きんちょう}}}}

| niwa, konnyaku, kinchō

| canyon

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ŋ}}{{refn|name=g}}

| {{lang|ja|りんご, {{nowrap|なんきょく}}}}

| ringo, nankyoku

| pink

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|ɴ}}The utterance-final nasal is traditionally described as uvular {{IPAblink|ɴ}}, but instrumental studies have found that this is inaccurate and the actual realization varies {{harvcol|Maekawa|2023}}. However, an alternative transcription has yet to be established, so {{angbr IPA|ɴ}} is used.

| {{lang|ja|にほん}}

| nihon

| roughly like long

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|p}}

| {{lang|ja|パン, {{nowrap|たんぽぽ}}}}

| pan, tanpopo

| span

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|pʲ}}

| {{lang|ja|はっぴょう}}

| happyō

| spew

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɾ}}

| {{lang|ja|ろく, {{nowrap|そら}}}}

| roku, sora

| American atom

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɾʲ}}

| {{lang|ja|りょうり}}

| ryōri

| American party

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|s}}

| {{lang|ja|する, {{nowrap|さっそう}}}}

| suru, sassō

| soup

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|t}}

| {{lang|ja|たべる, {{nowrap|とって}}}}

| taberu, totte

| stop

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|tɕ}}

| {{lang|ja|ちかい, {{nowrap|けっちゃく}}}}

| chikai, ketchaku{{refn|name=gemination}}

| itchy

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ts}}

| {{lang|ja|つなみ, {{nowrap|いっつい}}}}

| tsunami, ittsui{{refn|name=gemination}}

| cats

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|β̞|w}}{{refn|{{IPA|[w]}} is phonetically a bilabial approximant {{IPAblink|β̞}}, but it is traditionally described as a velar {{IPAblink|ɰ}} or labialized velar {{IPAblink|w}} approximant and transcribed with {{angbr IPA|ɰ}} or {{angbr IPA|w}} {{harvcol|Maekawa|2020}}.}}

| {{lang|ja|わさび}}

| wasabi

| roughly like was

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|ɰ̃}}{{refn|The syllable-final n (moraic nasal) is pronounced as some kind of nasalized vowel before a vowel, semivowel ({{IPA|[j, ɰ]}}) or fricative ({{IPA|[ɸ, s, ɕ, ç, h]}}). {{IPA|[ɰ̃]}} is a conventional notation that is undefined for the exact place of articulation {{harvcol|Vance|2008|p=97}}.}}

| {{lang|ja|ふんいき, {{nowrap|でんわ}}, {{nowrap|あんしん}}}}

| fun'iki, denwa, anshin

| sin

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|z}}{{refn|name=yotsugana}}

| {{lang|ja|ざぜん, {{nowrap|つづく}}}}

| zazen, tsuzuku

| zoo

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ʑ}}{{refn|name=yotsugana}}

| {{lang|ja|みじかい, {{nowrap|じょじょ}}}}

| mijikai, jojo

| vision

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ʔ}}

| {{lang|ja|あつっ！}}

| atsu'!

| uh-oh

|

class="wikitable"

|+ Vowels

rowspan="2" | IPA

! colspan="2" | Example

! rowspan="2" | English approximation

Kana

! Romanization

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ä|a}}

| {{lang|ja|ある}}

| aru

| father

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|e̞|e}}

| {{lang|ja|えき}}

| eki

| bet

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|i}}

| {{lang|ja|いる}}

| iru

| meet

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|i̥}}{{refn|name=devoicing|Close vowels {{IPA|[i, ɯ]}} become voiceless {{IPA|[i̥, ɯ̥]}} when short and surrounded by voiceless consonants within a word. When the second consonant is {{IPA|[ɸ]}}, {{IPA|[ç]}}, or {{IPA|[h]}}, or when both consonants are fricatives (including the second component of an affricate), devoicing is much less likely to occur {{harvcol|Fujimoto|2015}}, so vowels in such environments are not transcribed as voiceless (nor are word-final or non-close vowels, whose devoicing is also less consistent). Where close vowels that would be devoiced according to the above rules occur in succession, usually whichever vowel is accented is voiced; if neither is accented, the second is voiced {{harvcol|Fujimoto|2015|p=189}}: {{IPA|[kɯꜜɕi̥kɯmo, tsɯ̥kɯɕi]}}. These rules may be overridden by citing a reliable source that marks devoicing, such as {{harvcoltxt|NHK|2016}} or {{harvcoltxt|Kindaichi|Akinaga|2014}}, if the word being transcribed appears in it.}}

| {{lang|ja|した}}

| shita

| whispered meet

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|o̞|o}}

| {{lang|ja|おに}}

| oni

| story

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɯ}}{{refn|{{IPA|[ɯ]}}, romanized u, exhibits varying degrees of rounding depending on dialect. In Tokyo dialect, it is either unrounded or compressed {{IPAblink|ɯᵝ}}, meaning the sides of the lips are held together without horizontal protrusion, unlike protruded {{IPAblink|u}}.}}

| {{lang|ja|うなぎ}}

| unagi

| shoot

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɯ̥}}{{refn|name=devoicing}}

| {{lang|ja|すきやき}}

| sukiyaki

| whispered shoot

class="wikitable"

|+ Suprasegmentals

IPA

! Description

! Example

! English approximation

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ː}}

| Long vowel

| hyōmei, ojiisan

| grandfather, grandpa

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ꜜ}}

| Pitch drop{{refn|A pitch drop may occur only once per word and does not occur in all words. The mora before a pitch drop has a high pitch. When it occurs at the end of a word, the following grammatical particle has a low pitch.}}

| class="nowrap" | {{IPA|[kaꜜki]}} ({{langx|ja|牡蠣|lit=oyster|label=none}}),
{{IPA|[kakiꜜ]}} ({{langx|ja|垣|lit=fence|label=none}})

| class="nowrap" | {{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ær|i}} (marry),
{{nowrap|{{IPAc-en|m|ə|ˈ|r|iː}}}} (Marie)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA||}}

| Minor break{{refn|A non-initial-accented minor phrase almost always starts with a low pitch on the first mora and rises to a higher one on the second mora. This separator marks the start of a new minor phrase with such a rise in pitch, from the first to the second mora, within a major phrase. It also distinguishes major phrases (with one or more possible pitch drops) from minor phrases (with only one possible pitch drop).}}

| class="nowrap" | {{IPA|[haꜜ.ɾɯ no | soꜜ.ɾa]}} ({{langx|ja|春の空|lit=sky in spring|label=none}}),
{{IPA|[ja.maꜜ.ɕi.ta | haꜜ.na.ko]}} ({{langx|ja|山下花子|lit=Yamashita Hanako|label=none}}),
{{IPA|[a.ɕi̥.kaꜜ.ɡa | ta.kaꜜ.ɯ.(d)ʑi]}} ({{langx|ja|足利尊氏|lit=Ashikaga Takauji|label=none}}),
{{IPA|[ja.ma.da (|) haꜜ.na.ko]}} ({{langx|ja|山田花子|lit=Yamada Hanako|label=none}}),
{{IPA|[a.ɾi.wa.ɾa no (|) na.ɾiꜜ.çi.ɾa]}} ({{langx|ja|在原業平|lit=Ariwara no Narihira|label=none}})

|brothers | and sisters
cease | and desist
separate | but equal
Ronald | Reagan
Barack | Obama

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|.}}

| Syllabification

| nin'i {{IPA|[ɲiɰ̃.i]}}

| higher {{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|aɪ|.|ər}}

|}

See also

  • {{clc|Pages with Japanese IPA|pages}}

Notes

{{reflist}}

References

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite book

|last=Fujimoto

|first=Masako

|year=2015

|chapter=Vowel devoicing

|editor-last=Kubozono

|editor-first=Haruo

|title=Handbook of Japanese Phonetics and Phonology

|location=Berlin

|publisher=De Gruyter

|pages=167–214

|doi=10.1515/9781614511984.167

|isbn=978-1-61451-252-3

}}

  • {{cite book

|editor1-last=Kindaichi

|editor1-first=Haruhiko

|editor2-last=Akinaga

|editor2-first=Kazue

|year=2014

|script-title=ja:新明解日本語アクセント辞典

|language=Japanese

|edition=2nd

|location=Tokyo

|publisher=Sanseido

|isbn=978-4-385-13672-1

}}

  • {{cite journal

|last=Maekawa

|first=Kikuo

|year=2020

|title=Remarks on Japanese /w/

|journal=ICU Working Papers in Linguistics

|volume=10

|pages=45–52

|doi=10.34577/00004625

|doi-access=free

}}

  • {{cite journal

|last=Maekawa

|first=Kikuo

|year=2023

|title=Production of the utterance-final moraic nasal in Japanese: A real-time MRI study

|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association

|volume=53

|issue=1

|pages=189–212

|doi=10.1017/S0025100321000050

|doi-access=free

}}

  • {{cite book

|editor=NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute

|year=2016

|script-title=ja:NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典

|language=Japanese

|location=Tokyo

|publisher=NHK Publishing

|isbn=978-4-14-011345-5

|ref={{harvid|NHK|2016}}

}}

  • {{cite book

|last=Vance

|first=Timothy J.

|year=2008

|title=The Sounds of Japanese

|publisher=Cambridge University Press

|isbn=978-0-5216-1754-3

}}

{{refend}}

{{IPA keys}}