The Japanese moraic nasal ん
Learn how ん takes a beat in Japanese words, changes its sound with its surroundings and differs from a following な-row kana.
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Japanese し, ち and つ sounds
Practise the Japanese sounds し, ち and つ in familiar words, and distinguish a full-size つ from the small っ.
Read and practiseThe Japanese r: ら り る れ ろ
Learn the quick Japanese r sound in all five kana, with familiar words and practice distinguishing it from a long trill.
Read and practiseVoiced and unvoiced Japanese consonants
Hear and read Japanese contrasts such as か and が, and learn how dakuten and handakuten change kana.
Read and practiseVowels inside Japanese loanwords
Notice how katakana words fit Japanese timing. Read examples, compare the reference table and try the explained practice.
Read and practiseFinding Japanese word boundaries
Find familiar words and particles in a continuous sentence. Read examples, compare the reference table and try the explained practice.
Read and practiseHearing Japanese vowel length in pairs
Compare short and long vowels in words with different meanings. Read examples, compare the reference table and try the explained practice.
Read and practiseHearing the small っ in Japanese word pairs
Compare consonant length in three pairs of Japanese words. Read examples, compare the reference table and try the explained practice.
Read and practiseJapanese pitch accent: first contrasts
Explore the Tokyo pattern of two words pronounced はし. Read examples, compare the reference table and try the explained practice.
Read and practiseJapanese vowel devoicing in everyday speech
Learn why the vowels in すき and つくえ can sound quiet, then practise recognising devoicing in familiar Japanese words.
Read and practiseJapanese statement and question intonation
Practise Japanese statement and question intonation with polite sentence pairs, a reading transcript and explained exercises.
Read and practiseHow Japanese ん changes before consonants
Learn how the Japanese mora ん adapts to a following consonant, then practise hearing lip, tongue and back-of-mouth sounds.
Read and practiseSmall ゃ, ゅ, ょ: palatalised sounds
Learn how small ゃ, ゅ and ょ combine with kana, contrast full-size forms, and practise Japanese mora timing.
Read and practiseCounting morae in Japanese words
Count Japanese morae in everyday words, including long vowels, small っ and ん, with examples and explained practice.
Read and practisePronouncing the particles は, へ and を
Learn why written は, へ and を sound different as particles, and practise identifying their readings in everyday sentences.
Read and practiseJapanese pitch accent and stress
Compare Japanese pitch accent with stress, follow Tokyo pitch patterns through a particle, and practise hearing the difference.
Read and practiseHearing loanword sound changes
Hear how Japanese adapts loanwords through vowels, long sounds and pauses. Practise counting morae in familiar katakana words.
Read and practisePitch across a Japanese phrase
Follow Tokyo Japanese pitch from a word into its particle, then practise identifying drops in short phrases.
Read and practiseHearing a Japanese accent downstep
Learn to hear where Tokyo Japanese pitch falls, compare words with a following particle, and practise identifying the drop.
Read and practisePolite Japanese speech: common reductions
Learn how vowels can become hard to hear in Japanese polite endings and practise recognizing their full written forms.
Read and practiseCommon reductions in casual Japanese
Recognize everyday Japanese contractions such as てる, ちゃう and じゃう, and practise restoring their full forms.
Read and practiseRecording and comparing a Japanese phrase
Record a short Japanese phrase, compare its timing and ending with a model, and practise hearing details you can improve.
Read and practiseIntonation of Japanese listener responses
Learn how pitch and timing shape Japanese listener responses, from attentive acknowledgements to surprised questions.
Read and practiseListen for Japanese pitch-accent contrasts
Distinguish bridge from chopsticks and rain from candy by following Tokyo pitch patterns through the particle, then practise with explained answers.
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