Language/Japanese/Pronunciation/Alphabet-and-Pronunciation

Japanese language uses three 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.

Hiragana

Hiragana is the most common. you can find it everywhere, in restaurant, train stations...

			[n], [m], [ŋ],[ɴ], [ɯ̃], [ĩ]	n	ん	[wa]	wa	わ	[ɾa]	ra	ら	[ja]	ya	や	[ma]	ma	ま	[ha], [wa]	ha	は	[na]	na	な	[ta]	ta	た	[sa]	sa	さ	[ka]	ka	か	[a]	a	あ
									[ɾi]	ri	り				[mi]	mi	み	[çi]	hi	ひ	[ɲi]	ni	に	[t͡ɕi]	chi	ち	[ɕi]	shi	し	[kʲi]	ki	き	[i]	i	い
[v(ɯ)]	vu/u	ゔ							[ɾɯ]	ru	る	[jɯ]	yu	ゆ	[mɯ]	mu	む	[ɸɯ]	fu	ふ	[nɯ]	nu	ぬ	[t͡sɯ]	tsu	つ	[sɯ]	su	す	[kɯ]	ku	く	[ɯ]	u	う
									[ɾe]	re	れ				[me]	me	め	[he], [e]	he	へ	[ne]	ne	ね	[te]	te	て	[se]	se	せ	[ke]	ke	け	[e]	e	え
						[(w)o]	wo	を	[ɾo]	ro	ろ	[jo]	yo	よ	[mo]	mo	も	[ho]	ho	ほ	[no]	no	の	[to]	to	と	[so]	so	そ	[ko]	ko	こ	[o]	o	お

[pa]	pa	ぱ	[ba]	ba	ば	[da]	da	だ	[za]	za	ざ	[ɡa]	ga	が
[pi]	pi	ぴ	[bi]	bi	び	[(d)ʑi]	dzi	ぢ	[(d)ʑi]	ji	じ	[ɡʲi]	gi	ぎ
[pɯ]	pu	ぷ	[bɯ]	bu	ぶ	[(d)zɯ]	dzu	づ	[(d)zɯ]	zu	ず	[ɡɯ]	gu	ぐ
[pe]	pe	ぺ	[be]	be	べ	[de]	de	で	[ze]	ze	ぜ	[ɡe]	ge	げ
[po]	po	ぽ	[bo]	bo	ぼ	[do]	do	ど	[zo]	zo	ぞ	[ɡo]	go	ご

Digraph

[pʲa]	pya	ぴゃ	[bʲa]	bya	びゃ	[d͡ʑa]	ja	じゃ	[ɡʲa]	gya	ぎゃ	[ɾʲa]	rya	りゃ	[mʲa]	mya	みゃ	[ça]	hya	ひゃ	[ɲa]	nya	にゃ	[t͡ɕa]	cha	ちゃ	[ɕa]	sha	しゃ	[kʲa]	kya	きゃ
[pʲɯ]	pyu	ぴゅ	[bʲɯ]	byu	びゅ	[d͡ʑɯ]	ju	じゅ	[ɡʲɯ]	gyu	ぎゅ	[ɾʲɯ]	ryu	りゅ	[mʲɯ]	myu	みゅ	[çɯ]	hyu	ひゅ	[ɲɯ]	nyu	にゅ	[t͡ɕɯ]	chu	ちゅ	[ɕɯ]	shu	しゅ	[kʲɯ]	kyu	きゅ
[pʲo]	pyo	ぴょ	[bʲo]	byo	びょ	[d͡ʑo]	jo	じょ	[ɡʲo]	gyo	ぎょ	[ɾʲo]	ryo	りょ	[mʲo]	myo	みょ	[ço]	hyo	ひょ	[ɲo]	nyo	にょ	[t͡ɕo]	cho	ちょ	[ɕo]	sho	しょ	[kʲo]	kyo	きょ

Digraph

[va]	va	ゔぁ
[vi]	vi	ゔぃ
[ve]	ve	ゔぇ
[vo]	vo	ゔぉ

Digraph

[di]	di	でぃ	[ti]	ti	てぃ

っ indicates a geminate consonant.

Notes ː

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.

゛makes k become g, s become z, t become d, h become b

゜ makes h become p

Katakana

Based on the same concept of hiragana, katakana is especially made to translate foreign names and words

			[n], [m], [ŋ],[ɴ], [ɯ̃], [ĩ]	n	ン	[wa]	wa	ワ	[ɾa]	ra	ラ	[ja]	ya	ヤ	[ma]	ma	マ	[ha], [wa]	ha	ハ	[na]	na	ナ	[ta]	ta	タ	[sa]	sa	サ	[ka]	ka	カ	[a]	a	ア
									[ɾi]	ri	リ				[mi]	mi	ミ	[çi]	hi	ヒ	[ɲi]	ni	二	[t͡ɕi]	chi	チ	[ɕi]	shi	シ	[kʲi]	ki	キ	[i]	i	イ
[v(ɯ)]	vu/u	ヴ							[ɾɯ]	ru	ル	[jɯ]	yu	ユ	[mɯ]	mu	ム	[ɸɯ]	fu	フ	[nɯ]	nu	ヌ	[t͡sɯ]	tsu	ツ	[sɯ]	su	ス	[kɯ]	ku	ク	[ɯ]	u	ウ
									[ɾe]	re	レ				[me]	me	メ	[he], [e]	he	へ	[ne]	ne	ネ	[te]	te	テ	[se]	se	セ	[ke]	ke	ケ	[e]	e	エ
						[(w)o]	wo	ヲ	[ɾo]	ro	ロ	[jo]	yo	ヨ	[mo]	mo	モ	[ho]	ho	ホ	[no]	no	ノ	[to]	to	ト	[so]	so	ソ	[ko]	ko	コ	[o]	o	オ

[pa]	pa	パ	[ba]	ba	バ	[da]	da	ダ	[za]	za	ザ	[ɡa]	ga	ガ
[pi]	pi	ピ	[bi]	bi	ビ	[(d)ʑi]	dzi	ヂ	[(d)ʑi]	ji	ジ	[ɡʲi]	gi	ギ
[pɯ]	pu	プ	[bɯ]	bu	ブ	[(d)zɯ]	dzu	ヅ	(d)zɯ]	zu	ズ	[ɡɯ]	gu	グ
[pe]	pe	ペ	[be]	be	ベ	[de]	de	デ	[ze]	ze	ゼ	[ɡe]	ge	ゲ
[po]	po	ポ	[bo]	bo	ボ	[do]	do	ド	[zo]	zo	ゾ	[ɡo]	go	ゴ

Digraph

[pʲa]	pya	ピャ	[bʲa]	bya	ビャ	[d͡ʑa]	ja	ジャ	[ɡʲa]	gya	ギャ	[ɾʲa]	rya	リャ	[mʲa]	mya	ミャ	[ça]	hya	ヒャ	[ɲa]	nya	ニャ	[t͡ɕa]	cha	チャ	[ɕa]	sha	シャ	[kʲa]	kya	キャ
[pʲɯ]	pyu	ピュ	[bʲɯ]	byu	ビュ	[d͡ʑɯ]	ju	ジュ	[ɡʲɯ]	gyu	ギュ	[ɾʲɯ]	ryu	リュ	[mʲɯ]	myu	ミュ	[çɯ]	hyu	ヒュ	[ɲɯ]	nyu	ニュ	[t͡ɕɯ]	chu	チュ	[ɕɯ]	shu	シュ	[kʲɯ]	kyu	キュ
[pʲo]	pyo	ピョ	[bʲo]	byo	ビョ	[d͡ʑo]	jo	ジョ	[ɡʲo]	gyo	ギョ	[ɾʲo]	ryo	リョ	[mʲo]	myo	ミョ	[ço]	hyo	ヒョ	[ɲo]	nyo	ニョ	[t͡ɕo]	cho	チョ	[ɕo]	sho	ショ	[kʲo]	kyo	キョ

Digraph

[va]	va	ヴァ
[vi]	vi	ヴィ
[ve]	ve	ヴェ
[vo]	vo	ヴォ

Digraph

[di]	di	ディ	[ti]	ti	ティ

ッ indicates a geminate consonant.

ー means long vowel.

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。

Kanji

Kanji makes homonyms to be understood more precisely. For example, kami may means god, paper, hair. with kanji, one can express the proper meaning.

Authors

briceJ