Japanese has several consonant sounds that don’t exist in English — and some English sounds that Japanese doesn’t use. This guide focuses on the 5 sounds that trip up English speakers the most: ら-row, つ, し, ふ, and the voiced/unvoiced pairs.
| Sound | Issue | Quick fix |
|---|---|---|
| ら行 (ra, ri, ru, re, ro) | Neither L nor R — a unique flap | Touch tongue tip briefly behind upper teeth, then pull away |
| つ (tsu) | English has no tsu — sounds like ‘ts’ in ‘cats’ | Say ‘cats’ then cut the ‘ca’ — just ‘ts-oo’ |
| し (shi) | Often said as ‘si’ — not quite right | ‘shi’ with a soft ‘sh’ sound, not hard ‘s’ |
| ふ (fu) | English ‘fu’ uses lower lip on upper teeth | Japanese ふ: both lips slightly apart, no teeth contact |
| じ / ず | Confusion between the two | じ = ‘ji’; ず = ‘zu’ — different starting points |
ら行 (r-sounds): Japan’s Famous Sound
Yuka「らりるれろ」は英語のLでもRでもない！舌先を上歯茎に軽く当ててはじく感じ。
(ら-row is neither L nor R! The tongue tip briefly taps the alveolar ridge.)
Rei「りんご」「ラーメン」「れきし」— 全部この音だよ。
(りんご, ラーメン, れきし — all use this sound.)
The Japanese r is a lateral flap. It sounds closest to the ‘dd’ in American ‘ladder’ or ‘butter’ said quickly. The tongue taps once and releases — it does NOT roll or trill.
Practice steps:
1. Say ‘ladder’ in American English very quickly
2. The ‘dd’ sound = the Japanese ら-row
3. Now say: ら-り-る-れ-ろ with that same quick tap
4. Shadowing: らりるれろ × 10 fast, then slowly with awareness
| Word | Wrong | Right | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| りんご (apple) | ‘ling-go’ or ‘ring-go’ | ‘li(dd)ngo’ — tap, not roll | Quick tap |
| ラーメン (ramen) | ‘RAY-men’ | ‘[tap]aa-men’ | Tap + long aa |
| れきし (history) | ‘LEK-shi’ | ‘[tap]e-ki-shi’ | No L |
つ (tsu): The Non-English Sound
Yuka「つき」「つかれた」「つくる」— 「ts」の音が最初に来る！
(つき, つかれた, つくる — the ‘ts’ sound comes first!)
English has ‘ts’ only at the END of words (cats, bats). Japanese has it at the START. This feels unnatural at first but is learnable with practice.
Drill: Say ‘cats, bats, hats’ → now just say the ‘ts’ part → add ‘u’: tsu.
Words to practice: つき (moon), つかれた (tired), つくる (make), つたえる (convey)
し (shi) and ふ (fu)
| Sound | Description | Common error | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| し (shi) | Soft ‘sh’ + ‘i’ | Saying ‘si’ (like in ‘see’) | Soften the s into sh: sh-ee |
| ふ (fu) | Both lips slightly parted, blowing | Saying ‘fu’ with lower lip on upper teeth (English f) | Bring both lips close — like blowing gently on hot food |
じ vs ず: Two Voiced Sounds English Mixes Up
Yuka「じ」と「ず」— 口の形が違う！
(じ and ず have different mouth shapes!)
| Sound | Like English | Mouth | Example word |
|---|---|---|---|
| じ (ji) | ‘ji’ in ‘jig’ | Blade of tongue near palate | じかん (jikan — time) |
| ず (zu) | ‘zu’ in ‘zoom’ | Tongue behind upper teeth | ずっと (zutto — always) |
Minimal Pair Shadowing Drill
Say each pair 5 times, alternating:
・ら / ら — さ (ra vs sa: feel the tap vs the sustained fricative)
・つ / す (tsu vs su: released vs sustained)
・じ / ず (ji vs zu: palate vs alveolar)
Quick Quiz
1. Japanese ら-row is closest to which American English sound?
→ ‘dd’ in ‘ladder’ (lateral flap)
2. ふ is different from English ‘f’ because:
→ No lower lip on upper teeth — both lips slightly apart
3. Which word uses つ: a) しんかんせん b) つかれた
→ b) つかれた (tired)
Which Japanese consonant is hardest for you? Drop it in the comments — Yuka reads every one! 💬
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