Editing Language/Japanese/Pronunciation/Alphabet-and-Pronunciation

[[File:japanese-alphabet-pronunciation.png|thumb]]

Japanese language uses 3 ways to express sounds and writing ː Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji.

There are simple symbols derived from Chinese characters are called "Hiragana" and "Katakana", Chinese characters called Kanji.

== Kana ==
Hiragana is used for common use. Katakana is used for onomatopoeia, emphasizing, foreign names and words.

There are 3 major types of romanization: [[wikipedia:Hepburn_romanization|Hepburn]], [[wikipedia:Kunrei-shiki_romanization|Kunrei-shiki]], [[wikipedia:Nihon-shiki_romanization|Nihon-shiki]].

In these charts, the order is top-to-bottom, right-to-left, which is the traditional one and is still in use. Hiragana are at upper position, Katakana are at lower position. 3 romanization systems are in the order above, separated by a slash.

==gojūon==
{| class="wikitable"
|+五十音 (gojūon)
|[nː]; [mː]; [ŋː]; [ɴː]
|n
!ん

ン
|[ɰᵝa̠]
|wa
!わ

ワ
|[ɾa̠]
|ra
!ら

ラ
|[ja̠]
|ya
!や

ヤ
|[ma̠]
|ma
!ま

マ
|[ha̠]; [ɰᵝa̠]
|ha
!は

ハ
|[na̠]
|na
!な

ナ
|[ta̠]
|ta
!た

タ
|[sa̠]
|sa
!さ

サ
|[ka̠]
|ka
!か

カ
|[a̠]
|a
!あ

ア
|-
|
|
|
|[ɰᵝi], [i]
|i/i/wi
!ゐ

ヰ
|[ɾʲi]
|ri
!り

リ
|
|
|
|[mʲi]
|mi
!み

ミ
|[çi]
|hi
!ひ

ヒ
|[ɲ̟i]
|ni
!に

二
|[t͡ɕi]
|chi/ti/ti
!ち

チ
|[ɕi]
|shi/si/si
!し

シ
|[kʲi]
|ki
!き

キ
|[i]
|i
!い

イ
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|[ɾɯ̟ᵝ]
|ru
!る

ル
|[jɯ̟ᵝ]
|yu
!ゆ

ユ
|[mɯ̟ᵝ]
|mu
!む

ム
|[ɸɯ̟ᵝ]
|fu/hu/hu
!ふ

フ
|[nɯ̟ᵝ]
|nu
!ぬ

ヌ
|[t͡sɨᵝ]
|tsu/tu/tu
!つ

ツ
|[sɨᵝ]
|su
!す

ス
|[kɯ̟ᵝ]
|ku
!く

ク
|[ɯ̟ᵝ]
|u
!う

ウ
|-
|
|
|
|[ɰᵝe̞], [e̞]
|e/e/we
!ゑ

ヱ
|[ɾe̞]
|re
!れ

レ
|
|
|
|[me̞]
|me
!め

メ
|[he̞]; [e̞]
|he
!へ

へ
|[ne̞]
|ne
!ね

ネ
|[te̞]
|te
!て

テ
|[se̞]
|se
!せ

セ
|[ke̞]
|ke
!け

ケ
|[e̞]
|e
!え

エ
|-
|
|
|
|[ɰᵝo̞], [o̞]
|o/o/wo
!を

ヲ
|[ɾo̞]
|ro
!ろ

ロ
|[jo̞]
|yo
!よ

ヨ
|[mo̞]
|mo
!も

モ
|[ho̞]
|ho
!ほ

ホ
|[no̞]
|no
!の

ノ
|[to̞]
|to
!と

ト
|[so̞]
|so
!そ

ソ
|[ko̞]
|ko
!こ

コ
|[o̞]
|o
!お

オ
|}
==dakuon and handakuon==
{| class="wikitable"
|+濁音と半濁音 (dakuon and handakuon)
|[pa̠]
|pa
!ぱ

パ
|[ba̠]
|ba
!ば

バ
|[da̠]
|da
!だ

ダ
|[d͡za̠]
|za
!ざ

ザ
|[ɡa̠], [ŋa̠]
|ga
!が

ガ
|-
|[pʲi]
|pi
!ぴ

ピ
|[bʲi]
|bi
!び

ビ
|[d͡ʑi], [ʑi]
|ji/zi/di
!ぢ

ヂ
|[d͡ʑi], [ʑi]
|ji/zi/zi
!じ

ジ
|[ɡʲi], [ŋʲi]
|gi
!ぎ

ギ
|-
|[pɯ̟ᵝ]
|pu
!ぷ

プ
|[bɯ̟ᵝ]
|bu
!ぶ

ブ
|[d͡zɯᵝ], [zɯᵝ]
|zu/zu/du
!づ

ヅ
|[d͡zɯᵝ], [zɯᵝ]
|zu
!ず

ズ
|[ɡɯ̟ᵝ], [ŋɯ̟ᵝ]
|gu
!ぐ

グ
|-
|[pe̞]
|pe
!ぺ

ペ
|[be̞]
|be
!べ

ベ
|[de̞]
|de
!で

デ
|[d͡ze̞]
|ze
!ぜ

ゼ
|[ɡe̞], [ŋe̞]
|ge
!げ

ゲ
|-
|[po̞]
|po
!ぽ

ポ
|[bo̞]
|bo
!ぼ

ボ
|[do̞]
|do
!ど

ド
|[d͡zo̞]
|zo
!ぞ

ゾ
|[ɡo̞], [ŋo̞]
|go
!ご

ゴ
|}

==yōon==
{| class=" wikitable "
|+拗音 (yōon)
|[pʲa̠]
|pya
!ぴゃ

ピャ
|[bʲa̠]
|bya
!びゃ

ビャ
|[d͡ʑa̠]
|ja/zya/zya
!じゃ

ジャ
|[ɡʲa̠]
|gya
!ぎゃ

ギャ
|[ɾʲa̠]
|rya
!りゃ

リャ
|[mʲa̠]
|mya
!みゃ

ミャ
|[ça̠]
|hya
!ひゃ

ヒャ
|[ɲ̟a̠]
|nya
!にゃ

ニャ
|[t͡ɕa̠]
|cha/tya/tya
!ちゃ

チャ
|[ɕa̠]
|sha/sya/sya
!しゃ

シャ
|[kʲa̠]
|kya
!きゃ

キャ
|-
|[pʲɨᵝ]
|pyu
!ぴゅ

ピュ
|[bʲɨᵝ]
|byu
!びゅ

ビュ
|[d͡ʑɨᵝ]
|ju/zyu/zyu
!じゅ

ジュ
|[ɡʲɨᵝ]
|gyu
!ぎゅ

ギュ
|[ɾʲɨᵝ]
|ryu
!りゅ

リュ
|[mʲɨᵝ]
|myu
!みゅ

ミュ
|[çɨᵝ]
|hyu
!ひゅ

ヒュ
|[ɲ̟ɯ̟ᵝ]
|nyu
!にゅ

ニュ
|[t͡ɕɨᵝ]
|chu/tyu/tyu
!ちゅ

チュ
|[ɕɨᵝ]
|shu/syu/syu
!しゅ

シュ
|[kʲɨᵝ]
|kyu
!きゅ

キュ
|-
|[pʲo̞]
|pyo
!ぴょ

ピョ
|[bʲo̞]
|byo
!びょ

ビョ
|[d͡ʑo̞]
|jo/zyo/zyo
!じょ

ジョ
|[ɡʲo̞]
|gyo
!ぎょ

ギョ
|[ɾʲo̞]
|ryo
!りょ

リョ
|[mʲo̞]
|myo
!みょ

ミョ
|[ço̞]
|hyo
!ひょ

ヒョ
|[ɲ̟o̞]
|nyo
!にょ

ニョ
|[t͡ɕo̞]
|cho/tyo/tyo
!ちょ

チョ
|[ɕo̞]
|sho/syo/syo
!しょ

ショ
|[kʲo̞]
|kyo
!きょ

キョ
|}

==Notes==

ゐ/ヰ and ゑ/ヱ are rarely used in modern Japanese. As you can see, for "w" sound, there are only a and o. 


Concerning the "y" section, there are only a, u and o.


Also, to form some sounds like z, p or b we have to use some additional symbols to complete basic ones.


は/ハ is pronounced as [ɰᵝa̠], へ/へ is pronounced as [e̞].


ん/ン's pronunciation rules are at https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E3%82%93#Pronunciation


゛(dakuten) makes k become g, s become z, t become d, h become b (dakuon).

゜(handakuten) makes h become p (handakuhon).


っ/ッ indicates a geminate consonant.


ー means long vowel in katakana.


There is a small difficulty in katakana symbols table due to the very similar looking of some ː ノ、ソ、ン、シ、ツ...＋ゾ、ジ、ヅ。


Extended katakana are not introduced here.

== Kanji ==

Kanji makes homonyms to be understood more precisely. For example, “かみ” can mean god, paper or hair. With kanji 神, 紙 or 髪, one can express the proper meaning.

==Authors==
[http://polyglotclub.com/member/BriceJ briceJ]

==Videos==
<youtube>C4vPlW1dptc</youtube>



{{#seo:
	|title=Japanese Alphabet and Pronunciation
	|keywords=letters, sounds, alphabet, Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji 
	|description=In this lesson, you will learn the symbols used in Japanese: Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji.
        |og:image=http://polyglotclub.com/wiki/images/a/ac/Japanese-alphabet-pronunciation.png
}}
[[Category: Japanese/Beginner]]
[[Category: Japanese/Intermediate]]
[[Category:Alphabet-and-Pronunciation]]

==Related Lessons==
* [[Language/Japanese/Pronunciation/Extended-table-of-the-kanji-keys|Extended table of the kanji keys]]

==Related Lessons==
* [[Language/Japanese/Pronunciation/Extended-table-of-the-kanji-keys|Extended table of the kanji keys]]