English speakers make predictable mistakes in Japanese — and knowing what to avoid can save you months of building bad habits. This hub targets the most common errors: particle confusion, word mix-ups, and nuance mistakes that make Japanese sound unnatural.
Particle Mistakes
Word Mix-Up Mistakes
- 直る vs 治る: Fix vs Heal (same sound, different kanji)
- 直す vs 直る: Transitive vs Intransitive pair
- 並べる vs 並ぶ: Arrange vs Stand in Line
- 投げる vs 捨てる: Throw vs Throw Away
- 泣き声 vs 鳴き声: Human Crying vs Animal Sounds
Nuance Mistakes
- おいしそう vs おいしい: Looks Delicious vs Is Delicious
- らしい vs そう: Hearsay vs Visual Appearance
- 納得 vs 理解: Being Convinced vs Understanding
Browse all Common Mistakes articles or explore Grammar.
Explore All Japanese Learning Hubs
Start Learning Japanese — Where to begin
Hiragana & Katakana — Master kana first
Kanji — 909 kanji articles from N5 to N2
Grammar — Particles, verb forms, sentence patterns
Vocabulary — Word lists from N5 to N1
Conversation Phrases — 360 practical daily phrases
JLPT Prep — Exam strategy and practice
Reading & Listening — Go beyond textbook Japanese
Common Mistakes — What English speakers get wrong
📖 Want to take your Japanese further? Practice speaking with a professional Japanese tutor on italki — affordable 1-on-1 online lessons at your own pace.