Learning Japanese pronunciation is fast to start and deeply rewarding. Below is a focused, practical guide (in English) with Japanese examples written only in hiragana and katakana, plus a simple step-by-step strategy you can follow.

1) Quick essentials (what to know first)

Vowels (5): あ / い / う / え / お — pure, short sounds (no diphthongs like English “eye”).

Examples: たべる (たべる), きく (きく), すし (すし)

Consonants: Most are similar to English but shorter and lighter. Note the Japanese r is a tapped sound — between r and l: ら / り / る / れ / ろ.

Example: りんご (りんご)

Mora timing (not stress): Japanese is mora-timed — each mora (ひとつの音の単位) has similar length. A short phrase like たべます has 4 morae: た・べ・ま・す.

Long vowels & double consonants:

Long vowel: おかあさん (おかあさん) — hold the vowel a little longer.

Geminate (small つ): きって (きって) — double consonant sound with a short pause.

Small ゃ/ゅ/ょ: きゃ (きゃ), しゅ (しゅ), ちょ (ちょ)

Nasal ん: Pronounced like /n/, /m/, or a nasal vowel depending on following sound: ほん (ほん), さんぽ (さんぽ)

Katakana (loanwords): Used for foreign words — pronounce them close to original but fit Japanese morae: コンピュータ (こんぴゅーた), アイスクリーム (あいすくりーむ)

2) Common pitfalls for English speakers

Vowel reduction / diphthongs: Avoid turning vowels into diphthongs (don’t say “kai” like English “kye”).

Overstressed syllables: Japanese doesn’t stress like English — keep even timing.

R vs L confusion: Practice the tapped r (ら) — it’s quick, like a soft “d/ɾ”.

Devoiced vowels: い and う can become whispery between voiceless consonants (e.g., すし pronounced [sɯ̥ɕi]). This is normal.

3) Very short pitch-accent note

Japanese uses pitch accent (especially in Tokyo Japanese) — pitch (high/low) can change meaning (e.g., はし as はし ‘bridge’ vs はし ‘chopsticks’). Don’t worry as a beginner: get pronunciation and timing right first; learn pitch patterns gradually.

4) Step-by-step strategy to conquer pronunciation (actionable)

Follow this structured plan — daily practice + focused drills will bring fast improvement.

Phase 0 — Foundation (1–3 days)

1. Learn all hiragana + katakana and practice aloud until each kana immediately gives you one clear sound. (5–15 min/day)

Phase 1 — Core sounds & timing (1–2 weeks) 2. Drill vowels & mora timing. Speak simple words slowly, counting morae out loud (た・べ・る). Use flashcards with kana → sound. (10–15 min/day) 3. Practice gemination and long vowels. Minimal pairs: て (て) vs って (って), こ (こ) vs こう (こう). Repeat and feel the length difference.

Phase 2 — Listening & shadowing (ongoing) 4. Shadow native audio: Pick short sentences (news-read lines, short dialogues, songs). Play 5–10 seconds, pause, then immediately repeat matching rhythm and pitch. Do 10–20 min/day. 5. Record yourself and compare. Use phone recordings; focus on matching timing and vowel purity more than “sounding native.”

Phase 3 — Fine-tuning (weeks to months) 6. Minimal-pair drills to target problem sounds (ら vs ら, long vs short vowels, devoiced vowels).

7. Get native feedback: language partner, tutor, or pronunciation correction app — ask them to correct specific sounds.

8. Add pitch accent practice after you’re comfortable with basic pronunciation — learn pitch for high-frequency words.

5) A simple daily 20–30 minute routine (repeat every day)

5 min: Kana warm-up (read rows aloud).

10 min: Shadowing short audio (sentences).

5 min: Targeted drills (long vowels, っ, ん, ら).

5–10 min: Record 1–2 short phrases and replay to compare.

Weekly: get 1 native correction session or compare to a high-quality native speaker recording.

6) Quick practice examples (say them aloud)

すし / さかな / ありがとう (すし / さかな / ありがとう)

おかあさん / きって / きゃく (おかあさん / きって / きゃく)

コンピュータ / アイスクリーム (こんぴゅーた / あいすくりーむ)

Final tips — fast wins

Master kana first — everything else becomes easier.

Listen before you imitate — accurate ears = accurate mouth.

Slow is better: get sound shapes right before speeding up.

Consistency beats intensity: 20 minutes daily > 2 hours once a week.

Japanese Pronunciation — A short guide for learners (with a clear strategy to master it)