A number and its counter can sound different together from their separate readings.

The idea

Compare 一本（いっぽん） with 三本（さんぼん）: the number and the initial sound of 本 may change. A small っ marks a held consonant in いっぽん and ろっこ. The same number behaves differently with different counters: 六個 is ろっこ, but 六冊 is ろくさつ. 八分 can be はっぷん or はちふん. Learn each combination with its counter.

Patterns to compare
FormReading
一本いっぽん
三本さんぼん
三個さんこ
六個ろっこ
六冊ろくさつ
八分はっぷん／はちふん

Examples

  • ペンを一本いっぽん持もっています。I have one pen.
  • 花はなを三本さんぼん買かいました。I bought three flowers.
  • 箱はこに卵たまごが三個さんこあります。There are three eggs in the box.
  • 本ほんを六冊ろくさつ持もっています。I have six books.
  • 卵たまごを六個ろっこ買かいました。I bought six eggs.
  • そこで八分はっぷん待まちました。I waited there for eight minutes.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Do not apply one sound change to every counter: 三本 is さんぼん, while 三個 is さんこ. The little っ is not a full-sized つ and takes its own beat.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading in hiragana: 三本

    Show answer or example answer

    さんぼん

    三本 is さんぼん: 本 starts with ぼん after 三.

  2. Write the reading in hiragana: 六冊

    Show answer or example answer

    ろくさつ

    六冊 is ろくさつ: 六 keeps its く before 冊.

  3. Write the reading in hiragana: 六個

    Show answer or example answer

    ろっこ

    六個 is ろっこ: 六 shortens before 個 and gains a small っ.

Use it today

Compare the pairs in the table aloud, then count six books and six eggs.