Japanese Pitch Accent

Unlike English, which uses stress accent (where stressed syllables are louder, longer, and higher in pitch), Japanese uses pitch accent (高低アクセント - kootei akusento).

This means that instead of making a syllable louder, you change the pitch of your voice between High (H) and Low (L). Getting the pitch right is crucial because changing the pitch pattern can completely change the meaning of a word.

Here is a breakdown of how Japanese pitch accent works.

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1. The Core Rules of Japanese Pitch

Japanese words are measured in mora (essentially beats/syllables, including short vowels, long vowels, and "n" sounds). There are two golden rules for standard Japanese (Tokyo dialect):

• Rule 1: The 1st and 2nd morae must always have different pitches. If the 1st is Low, the 2nd must be High (L-H). If the 1st is High, the 2nd must be Low (H-L).

• Rule 2: Once the pitch drops from High to Low within a word, it cannot go back up.

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2. Examples of Pitch Changing Meaning

The classic way to understand this is through minimal pairs—words that sound identical in consonants and vowels but differ in pitch.

Ame (Rain vs. Candy)

Word	Pitch Pattern	How it sounds
雨 (Rain)	H - L	Start high, drop low.
飴 (Candy)	L - H	Start low, go high.

Hashi (Bridge, Chopsticks, vs. Edge)

This is a famous three-way distinction. Pay attention to how the particle (like ga) attaches to the end, as it reveals the true accent type.

Meaning	Pitch Pattern	With Particle (ga)
箸 (Chopsticks)	H - L	Ha-shi-ga (H - L - L)
橋 (Bridge)	L - H	Ha-shi-ga (L - H - L)
端 (Edge/Corner)	L - H	Ha-shi-ga (L - H - H)

Note: Notice how "Bridge" and "Edge" sound exactly the same on their own (Low-High). The difference is that "Bridge" drops after the word ends, so the particle is Low. For "Edge", the pitch stays flat, so the particle stays High.

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3. The 4 Main Accent Types

Every Japanese word falls into one of four categories based on where the pitch drops (the "accent kernel"):

1. Atamadaka (Head-high / 第一型): The first mora is High, and all subsequent morae are Low.

   • Example: Gohan (cooked rice, meal) → H - L - L

2. Nakadaka (Middle-high / 中高型): The pitch starts Low, rises to High somewhere in the middle, and drops back to Low before the word ends.

   • Example: Tamago (Egg) → L - H - L

3. Odaka (Tail-high / 尾高型): The pitch starts Low and rises, reaching High on the very last mora. If you add a particle, the pitch drops.

   • Example: Sashimi (raw fish dish) ga → L - H - H  - L (particle ga would be L)

     Example: Hana (flower) ga  → L - H - L (particle ga would be L)

4. Heiban (Flat / 平板型): The pitch starts Low, rises to High on the second mora, and stays High all the way through any attached particles. (About 50% of Japanese words are Heiban).

   • Example: Sakana (Fish) ga → L - H - H - H (particle ga would also be H)

     Example: Hana (nose) ga → L - H - H (particle ga would also be H)

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Summary for Learners

While regional dialects (like Osaka/Kyoto) have completely different pitch systems, learning the standard Tokyo pitch accent will make your Japanese sound incredibly natural and native-like.

If you are just starting out, don't stress too much—context usually prevents misunderstandings, but keeping an ear out for the "musicality" of the language will help immensely!

Additional information: Marugoto Word Book page 3

 Marugoto Plus Introduction to Japanese / Pronunciation

Hiragana Reading / Writing Guide

Here is a guide to the essential rules of Hiragana pronunciation in Japanese.

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1. Long Vowels (長音 - Choo on)

In Japanese, vowel length changes the meaning of a word (e.g., ie = house vs. iie = no). When a vowel is doubled, you simply hold the vowel sound for two beats instead of one.

Here is how they are written in Hiragana:

• A-sound + あ: おかあさん (okaasan / Mother)

• I-sound + い: おにいさん (oniisan / Older brother)

• U-sound + う: たいふう ( taifuu / Typhoon)

• E-sound + い (Usually): せんせい (sensei → pronounced sensee / Teacher)

  • Exception: A few words use え, like おねえさん (oneesan / Older sister)

• O-sound + う (Usually): ありがとう (arigatou → pronounced arigatoo / Thank you)

  • Exception: A few words use お, like おおきい (ookii / Big)

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2. Double Consonants / Small Tsu (促音 - Sokuon)

When you see a small っ (tsu), it is not pronounced as "tsu." Instead, it creates a glottal stop or a sharp pause right before the next consonant. Think of it as holding your breath for a split second.

In English romaji, this is represented by doubling the consonant that follows it.

• きて (kite / Come) vs. きって (kitte / Stamp)

• さか (saka / Hill) vs. さっか (sakka / Author)

How to pronounce it: Imagine saying the English phrase "cat tail." The tiny pause your tongue makes between the two 't's is exactly how っ works.

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3. Tricky Particles (助詞 - Joshi)

Grammatical particles are the glue of Japanese sentences. Three specific Hiragana characters change their pronunciation entirely when used as particles:

Character	Normal Pronunciation	Particle Pronunciation	Grammatical Role	Example
は	ha	wa	Topic Marker	わたしは (Watashi wa... / As for me...)
を	o	o	Object Marker	ほんをよむ (Hon o yomu / Read a book)  NOT お
へ	he	e	Direction Marker	とうきょうへ (Tōkyō e / To Tokyo)

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4. Modified Sounds (Dakuon & Handakuon)

You can change the pronunciation of certain Hiragana families by adding small marks to the top right corner of the character.

Tenten (゛) - Voicing

The tenten (two small dots) turns unvoiced consonants into voiced consonants.

• K → G (e.g., か ka → が ga)

• S → Z (e.g., さ sa → ざ za) *(し shi becomes じ ji)

• T → D (e.g., た ta → だ da) *(ち chi becomes ぢ ji / つ tsu becomes づ zu)

• H → B (e.g., は ha → ば ba)

Maru (゜) - P-sound

The maru (a tiny circle) is only used with the H-row to turn them into P-sounds.

• H → P (e.g., は ha → ぱ pa)

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5. Contracted Sounds (拗音 - Yooon)

When an i-column character (like き ki, し shi, に ni) is paired with a small ゃ (ya), ゅ (yu), or ょ (yo), they blend into a single syllable.

• きよ (ki-yo / Two syllables) vs. きょ (kyo / One syllable)

• しゅ (shu / as in shumi - hobby)

• りょ (ryo / as in ryokan - Japanese inn)

• びよういん (biyooin / hairdresser) vs. びょういん (byooin / hospital)

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Which of these rules do you find the most challenging to practice?

Key Rules for Writing Hiragana

 Key Rules for Writing Hiragana

• Follow the correct stroke order (Kakijun かきじゅん). 

  Writing Hiragana in the proper order helps you balance the characters correctly and makes your handwriting look natural and beautiful.

• Pay attention to "Tome" (Stop), "Hane" (Hook), and "Harai" (Brush-off/Sweep). 

  These three movements are essential in Japanese calligraphy and writing:

  • Tome (Stop): Bring your pen to a clean, distinct stop at the end of the stroke.

  • Hane (Hook): Flick or hook the pen upward slightly at the end of the stroke.

  • Harai (Sweep): Gradually lift your pen to let the stroke fade out smoothly.

    
    

        

Marugoto A1Rikai L1 Hiragana

Let`s read the words. (Rikai page 24)

「じ・ず」 vs 「ぢ・づ」

 Pronunciation (Modern Japanese)

• じ = ぢ → ji

• ず = づ → zu
  →They sound exactly the same.

Rule #1 (Most Important)

Use 「じ」 and 「ず」 by default

Examples:

• せかいじゅう sekaijuu（世界中）all over the world

• ちず  chizu（地図）map

• じつづき jitsuzuki（地続き）adjointing

＊ If unsure → じ / ず is almost always correct

When to Use 「ぢ」 or 「づ」

① Repeated Sounds (Same Root Sound)

If a word has ち or つ and the sound repeats:

Original	Result	Example
ち → ぢ	ちぢむ	縮む  to shrink
ち → ぢ	ちぢれる	縮れる to curl
つ → づ	つづく	続く to continue
つ → づ	つづら	(Japanese wicker basket)
つ → づ	つづみ	(Japanese hand drum)

＊ Memory tip:
ち repeats → ぢ
つ repeats → づ

② Compound Words (Rendaku)

When two words join, and the second word voices:

Parts	Word	Meaning
はな + ち	はなぢ	nosebleed
みっか + つき	みかづき	crescent moon
いろ + つく	いろづく	to gain colour

Still Not Sure?

＊ Choose 「じ」 or 「ず」
✔ Modern Japanese prefers them
✔ Rarely causes problems

Ultra-Short Summary

• Default → じ / ず

• Repetition → ち→ぢ / つ→づ

• Compounds → sometimes ぢ / づ

• Doubt? → じ / ず

Hiragana Match Up - Basic Hiragana 46 Charactors

Hiragana A - Ko

Hiragana Sa - To

Hiragana Na - Ho

Hiragana Ma - Yo

Hiragana Ra - N