Language/Japanese/Pronunciation/Alphabet-and-Pronunciation
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: Hepburn, Kunrei-shiki, 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
| [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
| [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
| [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.
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