Japanese Pronunciation: Rhythm

Two keys to mastering Japanese pronunciation are rhythm and accent (expect many videos on the latter one in the future). Many foreign students of Japanese language struggle when native speakers don't understand the simplest sentences, and not because of their imperfect grammar, oh no, but because of their pronunciation. You say "grandpa" but it sounds like "uncle", you say something, but they just won't get it. These problems are not problems at all, if grasp the proper rhythm of the Japanese language. And the only way to do that is to internalize the mora system — the underlying principle of Japanese rhythm. It will also help you to understand what people say!

音節(syllable)と拍(mora)は違います。日本人は拍で音を認識するので、英語であろうと無意識に聞いた音を拍に変換しようとします。なので日本人の多くは英語等の発音が苦手で、たまにおかしな発音をしてしまうこともあります。ただ、その逆も同じで、音節(syllable)で音を認識する人は逆に、日本語を聞いたり話そうとするとその影響で自然な日本語が話せなかったりします。音節と拍の違いを理解することで、今まで聞こえなかった日本語の音を認識できるようになり、日本語を自然なリズムで話せるようになります。
Syllable and mora are different. Japanese people recognize sounds using mora-system, so no matter if it was English or other sounds, they try to change the sounds into mora subconsciously. That's why many Japanese people have trouble pronouncing English and such, so they sometimes pronounce words in funny ways. But the same thing can be said. Those who recognize sounds with syllable, because they are influenced by syllable system, they may have trouble speaking natural Japanese. By understanding the difference between syllable and mora, you will be able to recognize the sounds you couldn't hear before, and you will be able to speak Japanese with natural rhythm.

[jdddyyy]

My problem is that when listening to natives speak japanese, it sounds so lightning fast that the long vowels only sound like one mora 😅

[thefallenshelf]

This is possibly THE most informative Japanese training I've ever experienced. My mind is blown. So many of my questions about how to speak and understand Japanese language better were answered in this 4 minute video. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

[vanmaren]

I never realized that this was one of the main reasons why Japanese people have trouble pronuncing English. I have met many Japanese who do not understand the meaning of syllables in English and are unable to disginguish between them.

[Ystijger]

You seem to be gaining a lot of traction lately, and for good reason ! Your videos are super informative, thanks for your hard work, and making learning Japanese a little bit easier for us

[hankcohen]

I am someone who has lived in Japan now for a combined total of 20 years. I appreciate your explaination of something that I have learned to hear but did not have much grasp on how to explain it. I always thought that people who could listen to the rhythm of the language could pick this stuff up but you point out that it is very deeply ingrained. It is part of how we hear words. It is part of the ear/brain wiring. I wonder if studying music makes it easier to bridge the gap. I study music but at a pretty mediocre level yet I think it has helped me understand the rythm and timing of Japanese. People often complement me on my pronunciation. Not on my vocabulary :(

[.]

If you accidentally say ha in a rude way, just finish it with mbaagaa.

[watertribeskye]

this is why studying the characters is so important! my pronunciation really leveled up after I started learning hiragana and katakana. Just understanding how the syllables/sounds are split up really does make a huge difference. Thanks so much for this video! I couldn't properly vocalize/underrated exactly why that is until now!

[cremapastelera]

it makes sense that mora and musical rhythm are connected, since japanese is a melodical and sing-songy language (which i think is really nice)

[ViiZedek]

and weirdly enough, I am a Brasilian Portuguese native speaker, this mora system was not hard at all to learn. When I went to Japan, people said i had a beautiful(kirei) accent. but then again, it could be people being polite to me.

[coolbrotherf]

I actually have a harder time saying English loan words that have been "Japanese-ified" than regular Japanese words. It's very weird saying words I already know separated into moras.

[americanmeowth]

Bruh, thanks for the vid. This was so much more of a practical breakdown than I was expecting, and the on-screen guides are super helpful in illustrating the explanations.

[Ross_]

This is a video that really breaks the mental code for me behind the language!! Never have I heard this break down in any other Japanese language learning source.

[mlcmercurialluxecat]

I love that I found your channel. I've only been learning on duolingo, but this is opening up a whole other level. Now I know that there is a whole other aspect I need to be studying! It's fascinating. Thank you!

[nemureki]

this is so incredibly helpful. no one had gone into this topic so in depth before, i thought i fully grasped the concept but this video made me REALLY get it. I'll apply this to my learning everyday from here on out. thank you!!

[HTMLguruLady]

This is one of the best videos I have ever seen explaining mora's!!! THANK YOU!

[Mayo-Lord]

I've never looked at language in this way before. When I travel or have friends who speak other languages, I enjoy listening to and conversing with native speakers and practicing the words and phrases they teach me. I spend a lot of time with them trying to get the pronunciation right, using different parts of the mouth. Its eye opening to think about pronunciation and timing in the context of Japanese mora. I hope that keeping this in mind will help better train my ear for learning languages in the future. Especially Japanese! ありがとう.

[JackMyersPhotography]

Your ability to communicate these concepts is incredibly valuable and helpful. Thank you.

[missbeans]

Thank you for explaining why I've always found Japanese to be a beautifully melodic language. You're basically talking about musical notes and rythm here.

[keterMeow]

Your video content is so amazing. No teacher ever explain me mora and syllable so clearly. Thank you for your sharing.

[Yue_yunn]

As someone who had many linguistic related subjects at university and genuinely enjoyed all of them, this is such a great video!! Very clear and helpful, your work is great!