test 1
test 1
test 1
test 1
Speech test
Please read the following sentence.
Record it on your phone and send the audio file by email.
Speech test
Please read the following sentence.
Record it on your phone and send the audio file by email.
prominence
accent
accent
accent
日本語発音ラボ
Japanese Pronunciation Laboratory
Vowel devoicing
Here are くま and くさ.
Do you think く of くま is the same sound as く of くさ?
Listen to the audio.
The vowel u of the くさ(kusa) is not heard. Some Japanese vowels are not fully pronounced under certain conditions. This phenomenon is called vowel devoicing (hereafter, devoicing).
There are many regions where devoicing does not occur under the same condition and Japanese without devoicing is not wrong. However, words including a devoiced vowel sound like more standard Japanese than words without it.
Rules of vowel devoicing
(1) The i and u between voiceless consonants ( p, t, k, ch, ts, s, sh, h ) are devoiced.
きっぷ(切符)、あした(明日)、ちかい(近い)、 えんぴつ(鉛筆)、たべました(食べました)
くすり(薬)、やくそく(約束)、むすこ(息子)、つき(月)、ふつう(普通)
However, the i and u between the s sounds are not usually devoiced. たけしさん、おすし
(2) The u of -desu and -masu are devoiced, especially in the case of announcement.
今日は日曜日です。学校に行きます。
Listen to the audio. The vowels of the blue-colored letters above are devoiced. Namely, they are not pronounced.
Consecutive vowel devoicing
When a word contains two or more devoiceable vowels consecutively, devoicing occurs alternatively. It is because consecutive devoiced vowels are hard to pronounce and difficult to hear.
When there are two consecutive devoiceable vowels, the first vowel tends to devoice while the second does not.
さつきさん(Ms. Satsuki)、ききてき(crisis)、ききかんり(crisis management)
The blue-colored letters are in devoiceable environments, and the vowels of the underlined letters are very likely to be devoiced.
When there are three consecutive devoiceable vowels, the first and third vowels tend to devoice while the second does not.
きくちさん(Mr./Ms. Kikuchi)、きつつき(woodpecker)、くちくかん(destroyer)
However, in the case of three consecutive devoicing, not everyone seems to follow this rule. The point is that at least one devoicing occurs.
( ) is the mora containing a devoiced vowel.