192     2693    2885    10370   13255   3529    16784   14303   31087   6454    37541   2633    40174   6281    46455   13550   60005   3446    63451   3662    67113   10108   77221   2235    <!DOCTYPE html>
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        <div class="chapter_number">Chapter 1</div>
        <div class="chapter_name">Pronunciation</div>
        <div class="blurb">
        First things first. To start our journey in Japanese, we&rsquo;ve got to know how
        to pronounce it. As it turns out, Japanese pronunciation is very
        straightforward compared to English. As a general rule, one letter is
        pronounced only one way, and as I mentioned before, there aren&rsquo;t very many
        sounds to begin with, so you&rsquo;re probably in for a pleasant surprise.</div>
        <div><img src="divider@2x.png" class="divider" /></div>

<p class="bodycopy">Before we look at the vowels, I&rsquo;d like to say a word about
romanization. Romanization means writing words from another language in the
alphabet that we use in English, the Roman alphabet. Typically, we tend to
think of our alphabet as the &ldquo;English alphabet,&rdquo; but the fact of the matter is
that the characters A to Z are used&mdash;with a few minor variations&mdash;in very
many languages besides English. Our alphabet is actually called the Roman
alphabet, since it goes all the way back to Latin.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">It&rsquo;s handy to be able to read and write Japanese using Roman
letters, because that way we can start learning Japanese words without having
to know how to read Japanese characters. It lets us jump right into the study
of the language itself. But Roman letters really don&rsquo;t cut it for any sort of
true study of Japanese.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">Japanese has two &ldquo;alphabets,&rdquo; more accurately called <i>syllabaries</i>. That name stems from the
fact that, unlike English, where one letter represents just a part of a sound
(try to pronounce a <i>k</i> by itself),
every letter in the syllabaries represents an entire sound, or syllable. So
just one letter, all by itself, can be read &ldquo;ka.&rdquo;</p>


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<p class="bodycopy">Starting from lesson two, we&rsquo;ll start learning the
        syllabaries. Until we&rsquo;ve mastered them, we&rsquo;ll use both Roman letters and the
        syllabaries to represent the Japanese words we encounter. However, by lesson
        18, we&rsquo;ll begin using the syllabaries exclusively. Although
        this may seem overwhelming right now, they are really easy to learn and
        understand. (Japanese also uses a third character set, called kanji, which was borrowed from Chinese.
        We&rsquo;ll discuss kanji a bit more in the next lesson.)</p>

<p class="bodycopy">
    But now, let&rsquo;s look at pronunciation in Japanese. We&rsquo;ll
    start with the vowels. The list is short and sweet. When written in Roman
    letters, the vowels are pronounced as follows.

    
            Touch
        
        
        each letter to hear it pronounced.</p>

        <div class="simple_table_container">

            <!-- Start simple table -->
	    <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" class="simple_table">

                <!-- Headers row -->
	        <tr>
                        <td class="simple_header simple_radius_tl" width="25%">Written</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header simple_radius_tr" width="75%">Pronounced</td>

	        </tr>


	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st1" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_a');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st1');" ontouchend="turnOff('st1');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st1');">A</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st2" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;father.&rdquo;</span> Never as in &ldquo;apple&rdquo; or &ldquo;cape.&rdquo;</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_even_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st3" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_i');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st3');" ontouchend="turnOff('st3');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st3');">I</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st4" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;machine.&rdquo;</span> Never as in &ldquo;pit.&rdquo;</td>

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	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

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                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st5" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_u');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st5');" ontouchend="turnOff('st5');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st5');">U</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st6" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;Jupiter.&rdquo;</span> Never as in &ldquo;jump.&rdquo;</td>

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	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

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                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_even_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st7" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_e');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st7');" ontouchend="turnOff('st7');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st7');">E</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st8" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;pen.&rdquo;</span> Never as in &ldquo;peek.&rdquo;</td>

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	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st9" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_o');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st9');" ontouchend="turnOff('st9');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st9');">O</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st10" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;more.&rdquo;</span> Never as in &ldquo;on.&rdquo;</td>

	        </tr>


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		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_footer"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
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<p class="bodycopy">There you have it. These vowel sounds are always pronounced
        as I have indicated. The &ldquo;never&rdquo; notes are just friendly reminders because as
        English-speakers, we tend to allow letters that <i>follow</i> a vowel 
        to influence the pronunciation of that vowel. 
</p>

<!-- Note for future reference: another good example here would be the word 'shinto' -->
<p class="bodycopy">
For example, take the game company Nintendo. Most English speakers pronounce this name in a way that sounds very foreign to the Japanese ear.
In the usual English pronunciation, the first part of that name rhymes with &ldquo;pin,&rdquo; with a &ldquo;short i&rdquo; sound.
However, in Japanese, it is pronounced &ldquo;neen&rdquo; because in Japanese, the vowel <i>i</i> is always pronounced the same way (&ldquo;ee&rdquo;), regardless of what happens to follow it.
</p>

<p class="bodycopy">Here are a couple more examples of words that have an <i>i</i> sound in them. Notice that the following consonant doesn't change the pronunciation of the vowel.</p>

            <div class="tiny_example_set">
            <div class="tiny_example">
                    <div class="tiny_example_content tiny_example_content_text_english tiny_example_content_clickable" id="tiny2" onclick="playSound('Greetings_nihon-jin');" ontouchstart="turnOn('tiny2');" ontouchend="turnOff('tiny2');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('tiny2');">nihon-jin</div>



            </div>            <div class="tiny_example">
                    <div class="tiny_example_content tiny_example_content_text_english tiny_example_content_clickable" id="tiny3" onclick="playSound('VerbToBe_enpitsu');" ontouchstart="turnOn('tiny3');" ontouchend="turnOff('tiny3');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('tiny3');">enpitsu</div>



            </div>
            </div>


<p class="bodycopy">
The Japanese <i>o</i> deserves a bit more discussion as well. In the introduction, we talked about how the vowel in an English word like &ldquo;no&rdquo; slides from an &ldquo;oh&rdquo; ever-so-subtly into an &ldquo;ooh&rdquo; sound (or possibly a different sound in certain flavors of English) at the end. We noticed that we could see and feel our mouths changing shape as we pronounced the word. In Japanese, this slide doesn&rsquo;t occur. The vowel <i>o</i> is just a single, unchanging sound. The closest thing  we have to this in English is the vowel from the word &ldquo;more.&rdquo; Try saying that word out loud, but stop before you get to the &ldquo;r&rdquo; sound. That's an almost perfect rendition of the Japanese <i>o</i>.
</p>

<p class="bodycopy">Here are a couple words that have an <i>o</i> sound in them.</p>

            <div class="tiny_example_set">
            <div class="tiny_example">
                    <div class="tiny_example_content tiny_example_content_text_english tiny_example_content_clickable" id="tiny4" onclick="playSound('VerbToBe_neko');" ontouchstart="turnOn('tiny4');" ontouchend="turnOff('tiny4');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('tiny4');">neko</div>



            </div>            <div class="tiny_example">
                    <div class="tiny_example_content tiny_example_content_text_english tiny_example_content_clickable" id="tiny5" onclick="playSound('VerbToBe_ringo');" ontouchstart="turnOn('tiny5');" ontouchend="turnOff('tiny5');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('tiny5');">ringo</div>



            </div>
            </div>


<!--
<p class="bodycopy">
(* For the record, I&rsquo;m not suggesting that you should pronounce every word or name that has a Japanese origin in the Japanese way <i>when speaking English</i>. I use the normal English pronunciations of words like <i>karaoke</i> and <i>origami</i> when I&rsquo;m speaking English, and I use the Japanese pronunciations when I&rsquo;m speaking Japanese. The example above is simply meant to highlight how, as English speakers, we are so used to the idea of vowel sounds changing depending on what comes around them that we may do it accidentally in Japanese, and this is what you should be on the watch for and avoid.)
</p>
-->



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    <title>Pronunciation 3</title>

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<p class="bodycopy">Another note: In Japanese, letters don&rsquo;t have names like in
English. For example, we call the letter <i>i</i>
&ldquo;eye&rdquo; no matter how it&rsquo;s actually being used in a word. Its name is &ldquo;eye.&rdquo; But
in Japanese, letters are just called by how they&rsquo;re pronounced. So when I refer
to the sound <i>u</i>, you shouldn&rsquo;t read it
&ldquo;you.&rdquo; You should say &ldquo;ooh,&rdquo; just like it&rsquo;s pronounced.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">As to the order of the vowels above, this is their proper
order in Japanese. We&rsquo;ll learn more about this later.</p>

        <div class="subheading_level_2">Doubled vowels</div>


<p class="bodycopy">
In English, when two vowels sit next to each other in a
word, they play mysterious games with their pronunciation. For example, add an
extra <i>e</i> to &ldquo;bet&rdquo; and you get a
totally different pronunciation, &ldquo;beet.&rdquo; Depending on your dialect, the word &ldquo;been&rdquo; is yet different.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">Japanese has none of this nonsense. When two of the same vowel
come in a row, the sound simply lasts twice as long. The vowel sound doesn&rsquo;t
change&mdash;it just lasts longer. If you were to tap your finger at regular
intervals, the word <strong><i>oku</i></strong>
would take two beats (o-ku), while 
<strong><i>ooku</i></strong> would take three
beats (o-o-ku). In fact, we can literally say that the latter is a
three-syllable word. Take a listen to the following:</p>

            <div class="tiny_example_set">
            <div class="tiny_example">
                    <div class="tiny_example_content tiny_example_content_text_english tiny_example_content_clickable" id="tiny6" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_oku');" ontouchstart="turnOn('tiny6');" ontouchend="turnOff('tiny6');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('tiny6');">oku</div>



            </div>            <div class="tiny_example">
                    <div class="tiny_example_content tiny_example_content_text_english tiny_example_content_clickable" id="tiny7" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_ooku');" ontouchstart="turnOn('tiny7');" ontouchend="turnOff('tiny7');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('tiny7');">ooku</div>



            </div>
            </div>


<p class="bodycopy">When first learning about doubled vowels, it&rsquo;s a good idea
to tap your finger while saying the word. Each syllable should get the same
length of time. It&rsquo;s really important to give those doubled vowels and
consonants (see below) their full value. And yes, it definitely can affect the
meaning of your words.</p>


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<p class="bodycopy">
    Let&rsquo;s look at a few examples of doubled vowels.

    
            Touch
        

each example to hear a recording.</p>

        <div class="simple_table_container">

            <!-- Start simple table -->
	    <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" class="simple_table">

                <!-- Headers row -->
	        <tr>
                        <td class="simple_header simple_radius_tl" width="22%">Written</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header" width="22%">Meaning</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header" width="12%">vs.</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header" width="22%">Written</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header simple_radius_tr" width="22%">Meaning</td>

	        </tr>


	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st11" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_a');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st11');" ontouchend="turnOff('st11');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st11');">a</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st12" valign="top" onclick="">omigosh!</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st13" valign="top" onclick=""></td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st14" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_aa');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st14');" ontouchend="turnOff('st14');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st14');">aa</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st15" valign="top" onclick="">oh</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="9" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_even_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st16" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_i');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st16');" ontouchend="turnOff('st16');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st16');">i</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st17" valign="top" onclick="">stomach</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st18" valign="top" onclick=""></td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_even_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st19" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_ii');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st19');" ontouchend="turnOff('st19');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st19');">ii</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st20" valign="top" onclick="">good</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="9" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st21" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_e');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st21');" ontouchend="turnOff('st21');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st21');">e</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st22" valign="top" onclick="">picture</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st23" valign="top" onclick=""></td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st24" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_ee');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st24');" ontouchend="turnOff('st24');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st24');">ee</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st25" valign="top" onclick="">yeah</td>

	        </tr>


                <!-- Footer -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="9" class="simple_footer"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

            </table>
            <!-- End simple table -->
        
        </div>


<p class="bodycopy">The words on the left side can all be thought of as lasting for one syllable, or one beat, while the 
           words on the right side last twice as long.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">Now, I&rsquo;ve told you that the vowels are always pronounced the
        same way. This isn&rsquo;t <i>entirely</i> true. There
        is one situation where a vowel may not be pronounced as I&rsquo;ve shown on the vowel
        chart. That situation has to do with extending the sounds <i>e</i> and <i>o</i>.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">In the table above, we doubled the <i>e</i> sound by simply writing another <i>e</i>.
And on the previous page (for the word <i>ooku</i>), we doubled the sound <i>o</i> by writing another <i>o</i>.
There are words that work this way. 
But usually, these two sounds are extended, not by writing another of the same vowel, as you would
expect, but by writing <i>i</i> and <i>u</i>, respectively. In other words:

<ul class="bodycopy">
        <li><strong>The extended version of <i>e</i> is usually written <i>ei</i> (not <i>ee</i>).</li>
        <li>Likewise, the doubled version of <i>o</i> is usually written <i>ou</i> (not <i>oo</i>).</strong></li>
</ul>

<p class="bodycopy">There are a few exceptions to this, but the rule holds true 95% of the time.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">Here are a few examples of doubled <i>e</i> and <i>o</i> sounds:</p>

        <div class="simple_table_container">

            <!-- Start simple table -->
	    <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" class="simple_table">

                <!-- Headers row -->
	        <tr>
                        <td class="simple_header simple_radius_tl" width="25%">Written</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header" width="25%">Breakdown</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header" width="25%">Syllables</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header simple_radius_tr" width="25%">Meaning</td>

	        </tr>


	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st26" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_koukou');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st26');" ontouchend="turnOff('st26');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st26');">koukou</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st27" valign="top" onclick="">ko-o-ko-o</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st28" valign="top" onclick="">4</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st29" valign="top" onclick="">high school</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="7" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_even_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st30" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_sensei');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st30');" ontouchend="turnOff('st30');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st30');">sensei</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st31" valign="top" onclick="">se-n-se-e</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st32" valign="top" onclick="">4</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st33" valign="top" onclick="">teacher</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="7" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st34" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_toukyou');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st34');" ontouchend="turnOff('st34');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st34');">Toukyou</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st35" valign="top" onclick="">to-o-kyo-o</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st36" valign="top" onclick="">4</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st37" valign="top" onclick="">Tokyo</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="7" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_even_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st38" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_eikyou');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st38');" ontouchend="turnOff('st38');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st38');">eikyou</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st39" valign="top" onclick="">e-e-kyo-o</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st40" valign="top" onclick="">4</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st41" valign="top" onclick="">influence</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="7" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st42" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_keiyoushi');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st42');" ontouchend="turnOff('st42');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st42');">keiyoushi</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st43" valign="top" onclick="">ke-e-yo-o-shi</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st44" valign="top" onclick="">5</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st45" valign="top" onclick="">adjective</td>

	        </tr>


                <!-- Footer -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="7" class="simple_footer"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

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    <title>Pronunciation 5</title>

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<p class="bodycopy">Well, doubled vowels are fine and dandy, you say, but what
        about when totally <i>different</i> vowels
        sit next to each other in a word? What happens then?</p>

<p class="bodycopy">It&rsquo;s natural that you should ask such a question. After all,
        in English, mysterious things happen, as I&rsquo;ve illustrated before. But there&rsquo;s
        no need to worry in Japanese. All you have to do is pronounce both vowels in
        the way they&rsquo;re always pronounced.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">For example, if you see the word <i>kaeru</i>, you simply say &ldquo;ka-e-ru.&rdquo; The <i>e</i> does not exercise magical powers over the <i>a</i> as it would in English. This is most definitely not pronounced
        &ldquo;kay-ru.&rdquo; Just read the vowels the way they&rsquo;re always read.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">So when you see the pair <i>ai</i>,
        you say &ldquo;a-i,&rdquo; and the product sounds like the word &ldquo;eye.&rdquo;
        See how straightforward that is?</p>

<p class="bodycopy">
    Here are a few more examples of various vowel combinations.
    Be sure to

    
            touch
        
        
        the words in the left column to hear the pronunciation.</p>

        <div class="simple_table_container">

            <!-- Start simple table -->
	    <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" class="simple_table">

                <!-- Headers row -->
	        <tr>
                        <td class="simple_header simple_radius_tl" width="30%">Written</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header" width="30%">Breakdown</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header simple_radius_tr" width="40%">Meaning</td>

	        </tr>


	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st46" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_kaori');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st46');" ontouchend="turnOff('st46');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st46');">kaori</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st47" valign="top" onclick="">ka-o-ri</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st48" valign="top" onclick="">scent</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="5" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_even_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st49" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_mainichi');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st49');" ontouchend="turnOff('st49');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st49');">mainichi</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st50" valign="top" onclick="">ma-i-ni-chi</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st51" valign="top" onclick="">every day</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="5" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st52" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_oafu');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st52');" ontouchend="turnOff('st52');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st52');">Oafu</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st53" valign="top" onclick="">o-a-fu</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st54" valign="top" onclick="">Oahu (Hawaiian island)</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="5" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_even_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st55" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_ue');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st55');" ontouchend="turnOff('st55');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st55');">ue</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st56" valign="top" onclick="">u-e</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st57" valign="top" onclick="">top</td>

	        </tr>


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	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="5" class="simple_footer"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

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    <title>Pronunciation 6</title>

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<p class="bodycopy">There&rsquo;s nothing tricky about Japanese vowels. The main thing
        is to pay careful attention to letter combinations that resemble words in
        English. For example, it might be tempting to read <i>you</i> as the English word &ldquo;you.&rdquo; Really, it is a 2-syllable Japanese
        word <i>yo-o</i>.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">Aside from that, you&rsquo;ll be all right if you just remember
        the following two rules:</p>

<ol class="bodycopy">
    <li>Give each vowel its own, distinct pronunciation.</li>
    <li>The only exceptions are that <i>e</i> is extended with <i>i</i>, and <i>o</i> with <i>u</i>.</li>
</ol>

<p class="bodycopy">Before we move on to the consonants, let&rsquo;s consider the
        following question: Does Japanese accent certain syllables, like English?</p>

        <div class="subheading_level_2">Stressing out</div>


<p class="bodycopy">
        In English, we place extra heavy stress on one syllable in
        each word. For example, &ldquo;computer&rdquo; needs to be pronounced &ldquo;com-<b>pu</b>-ter&rdquo; in order to sound right.
        For you linguist-types, this is called <i>stress
        modulation</i>, because there is informational significance to where the stress
        occurs.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">Does Japanese use stress modulation? Nope. Not at all. This
        is one of the hardest points for foreigners to conquer. We instinctively want
        to stress some part of each word, but it sounds odd in Japanese. In Japanese,
        each syllable gets the same stress as the next. As you progress through this
        textbook, you&rsquo;ll be able to hear this. It may be challenging at first, but try
        consciously to give each syllable the same stress.</p>


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    <title>Pronunciation 7</title>

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<p class="bodycopy">Let&rsquo;s listen to a few words pronounced the correct and incorrect
        way. The correct way is a recording of a native Japanese speaker. The incorrect
        way is a recording of me, pronouncing the word the way foreigners often do.</p>

        <div class="simple_table_container">

            <!-- Start simple table -->
	    <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" class="simple_table">

                <!-- Headers row -->
	        <tr>
                        <td class="simple_header simple_radius_tl" width="33%">Native</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header" width="33%">Foreigner</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header simple_radius_tr" width="34%">Meaning</td>

	        </tr>


	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st58" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_watashi');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st58');" ontouchend="turnOff('st58');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st58');">watashi</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st59" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_foreigner-watashi');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st59');" ontouchend="turnOff('st59');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st59');">wuh-TAH-shi</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st60" valign="top" onclick="">me / I</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="5" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_even_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st61" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_anata');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st61');" ontouchend="turnOff('st61');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st61');">anata</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_even_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st62" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_foreigner-anata');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st62');" ontouchend="turnOff('st62');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st62');">uh-NAH-tuh</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st63" valign="top" onclick="">you</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="5" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st64" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_kuruma');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st64');" ontouchend="turnOff('st64');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st64');">kuruma</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st65" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_foreigner-kuruma');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st65');" ontouchend="turnOff('st65');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st65');">kuh-ROO-muh</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st66" valign="top" onclick="">car</td>

	        </tr>


                <!-- Footer -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="5" class="simple_footer"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

            </table>
            <!-- End simple table -->
        
        </div>


<p class="bodycopy">Incidentally, notice that in English, the act of stressing one syllable causes the nearby vowel sounds to
change slightly. For example, say the words &ldquo;photo&rdquo; and &ldquo;photographer&rdquo; out loud and pay attention to the first syllable of each. See how it changes from a big round &ldquo;pho&rdquo; in the first word to something more like &ldquo;phuh&rdquo; in second? This is an effect that is very common in English but never, <em>ever</em> occurs in Japanese.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">That means that one trick to make sure you&rsquo;re not stressing a particular
        syllable is to listen to yourself and make sure you&rsquo;re not changing any of the vowel sounds. 
        So, in the table above, when foreigners incorrectly stress the middle syllable
        of <i>watashi</i>, the first syllable is
        usually warped as a result, and the final word sounds like &ldquo;wuh-TA-shi.&rdquo; But
        &ldquo;wuh&rdquo; is not a Japanese sound at all! So if you pay close attention and make
        sure you give each syllable the correct vowel sound, it&rsquo;ll also go a long way to making
        sure you aren&rsquo;t using unnecessary stress.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">Okay, then! Let&rsquo;s move on to the consonants.</p>


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    <title>Pronunciation 8</title>

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        <div class="subheading_level_1">Consonants</div>


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            <!-- Start simple table -->
	    <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" class="simple_table">

                <!-- Headers row -->
	        <tr>
                        <td class="simple_header simple_radius_tl" width="20%">Written</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header simple_radius_tr" width="80%">Pronounced</td>

	        </tr>


	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st67" valign="top" onclick="">B</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st68" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;boy.&rdquo;</span></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st69" valign="top" onclick="">CH</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st70" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;chocolate.&rdquo;</span></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st71" valign="top" onclick="">D</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st72" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;dog.&rdquo;</span>
		This sound is a bit heavier than in English. The tongue pushes against the upper teeth and gums. 
		It&rsquo;s similar to the Spanish <i>d.</i></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st73" valign="top" onclick="">F</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st74" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;fox.&rdquo;</span>
		However, the Japanese don&rsquo;t bite their bottom lip as we do when we say this sound. 
		Let your upper teeth just barely touch your lower lip as you close your mouth naturally.</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st75" valign="top" onclick="">G</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st76" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;gate.&rdquo;</span>
		Never a &ldquo;soft g&rdquo; as in &ldquo;George.&rdquo;</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st77" valign="top" onclick="">H</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st78" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;hot.&rdquo;</span></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st79" valign="top" onclick="">J</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st80" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;jam.&rdquo;</span></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st81" valign="top" onclick="">K</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st82" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;kangaroo.&rdquo;</span></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st83" valign="top" onclick="">M</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st84" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;moon.&rdquo;</span></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st85" valign="top" onclick="">N</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st86" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;nice.&rdquo;</span></td></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st87" valign="top" onclick="">P</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st88" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;pencil.&rdquo;</span></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st89" valign="top" onclick="">R</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st90" valign="top" onclick=""><i>See note.</i></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st91" valign="top" onclick="">S</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st92" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;snake.&rdquo;</span></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st93" valign="top" onclick="">SH</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st94" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;shake.&rdquo;</span></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st95" valign="top" onclick="">T</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st96" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;tin.&rdquo;</span></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st97" valign="top" onclick="">TSU</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st98" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;ea<u>t sou</u>p.&rdquo;</span></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st99" valign="top" onclick="">WA</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st100" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;want.&rdquo;</span></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st101" valign="top" onclick="">Y</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st102" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;you.&rdquo;</span></td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="3" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st103" valign="top" onclick="">Z</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st104" valign="top" onclick="">As in <span class="simple_pronunciation_emphasis">&ldquo;zoo.&rdquo;</span></td>

	        </tr>


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<p class="bodycopy">As you can see, there is nothing particularly
        surprising in this list. Each letter is pronounced pretty much as it is in
        English. (This is probably because English speakers were the ones that picked
        which Roman letters to use to represent Japanese!)</p>

        <div class="subheading_level_2">Notes</div>

<p class="bodycopy">
        <b>D </b> - This sound is a
        bit heavier than in English. The tongue presses hard against the upper teeth
        and gums. If you were to move your tongue a little lower down, a <i>th</i> sound would come out. 

      
            Touchable
        

        examples: </p>

            <div class="tiny_example_set">
            <div class="tiny_example">
                    <div class="tiny_example_content tiny_example_content_text_english tiny_example_content_clickable" id="tiny8" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_dabudabu');" ontouchstart="turnOn('tiny8');" ontouchend="turnOff('tiny8');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('tiny8');">dabudabu</div>



            </div>            <div class="tiny_example">
                    <div class="tiny_example_content tiny_example_content_text_english tiny_example_content_clickable" id="tiny9" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_karada');" ontouchstart="turnOn('tiny9');" ontouchend="turnOff('tiny9');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('tiny9');">karada</div>



            </div>
            </div>


<p class="bodycopy"><b>F </b> - Japanese don&rsquo;t
        bite their bottom lips as we do when we say this sound. Let your upper teeth
        just barely touch your lower lip as you close your mouth naturally. Since
        there&rsquo;s no lip-biting, sometimes foreigners hear this sound as an <i>h</i> sound. 
        Examples:</p>

            <div class="tiny_example_set">
            <div class="tiny_example">
                    <div class="tiny_example_content tiny_example_content_text_english tiny_example_content_clickable" id="tiny10" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_fuufu');" ontouchstart="turnOn('tiny10');" ontouchend="turnOff('tiny10');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('tiny10');">fuufu</div>



            </div>            <div class="tiny_example">
                    <div class="tiny_example_content tiny_example_content_text_english tiny_example_content_clickable" id="tiny11" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_ofuro');" ontouchstart="turnOn('tiny11');" ontouchend="turnOff('tiny11');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('tiny11');">ofuro</div>



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<p class="bodycopy"><b>R</b> - This one
        deserves a little discussion. The sound <i>r</i>
        in English is a curious thing. Say it slowly and observe what happens in your
        mouth. The sides of your tongue touch the roof of your mouth, while the tip
        stays down to let air flow by. This sound is totally foreign to Japanese.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">The Japanese <i>r</i> is
        rather the opposite of the English <i>r</i>.
        It is made by a light flicking of the tip of the tongue on the roof of the
        mouth. The closest thing we have in English is the sound that we make when a T
        or D occurs in the middle of a word. For example, say the word &ldquo;ladder&rdquo;
        normally, and pay close attention to that middle consonant. See how your tongue
        just brushes the top of your mouth?</p>

<p class="bodycopy">If you are familiar with Spanish, you might notice that the sound is similar
to a Spanish <i>r</i>, except that there isn&rsquo;t any trilling or rolling. It&rsquo;s just one light touch.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">Here&rsquo;s how to pronounce the Japanese <i>r</i> perfectly. 
        Start with an English word that has one of these light tongue flicks in the middle, like &ldquo;regatta&rdquo; (as in the boat race). 
        Say that out loud a few times and get comfortable with how it feels. Now change it to &ldquo;katta&rdquo; and use exactly
        the same tongue flick. This sound is almost identical
        to the Japanese word <i>kara</i>. Here are a few examples:</p>

            <div class="tiny_example_set">
            <div class="tiny_example">
                    <div class="tiny_example_content tiny_example_content_text_english tiny_example_content_clickable" id="tiny12" onclick="playSound('Counting_kara');" ontouchstart="turnOn('tiny12');" ontouchend="turnOff('tiny12');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('tiny12');">kara</div>



            </div>            <div class="tiny_example">
                    <div class="tiny_example_content tiny_example_content_text_english tiny_example_content_clickable" id="tiny13" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_kuruma');" ontouchstart="turnOn('tiny13');" ontouchend="turnOff('tiny13');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('tiny13');">kuruma</div>



            </div>            <div class="tiny_example">
                    <div class="tiny_example_content tiny_example_content_text_english tiny_example_content_clickable" id="tiny14" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_ofuro');" ontouchstart="turnOn('tiny14');" ontouchend="turnOff('tiny14');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('tiny14');">ofuro</div>



            </div>
            </div>


<p class="bodycopy">Of course, the most important thing is to listen. Listen to
        others, and listen to yourself. As we work through this book, pay close
        attention to how the Japanese speakers say things, and imitate them.</p>



    
          
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    <title>Pronunciation 11</title>

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        <div class="subheading_level_1">Doubled consonants</div>

<p class="bodycopy">
        Doubled consonants work in
        much the same way as the doubled vowels. The concept is the same. When two of
        the same consonant appear next to each other, the consonant lasts for 2
        &ldquo;beats&rdquo; instead of one. But how do you make a consonant last twice as
        long? You pause on the consonant for an extra beat. Therefore, in the word <i>metta</i>, you would pronounce <i>me</i>, then take your tongue up into
        position for the <i>ta</i> sound, but before
        doing that you freeze right there for one &ldquo;beat.&rdquo; Finally, you say the <i>ta</i> sound. Try it and compare the sound
        to the version with no consonant doubling.</p>

            <div class="tiny_example_set">
            <div class="tiny_example">
                    <div class="tiny_example_content tiny_example_content_text_english tiny_example_content_clickable" id="tiny15" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_meta');" ontouchstart="turnOn('tiny15');" ontouchend="turnOff('tiny15');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('tiny15');">meta</div>



            </div>            <div class="tiny_example">
                    <div class="tiny_example_content tiny_example_content_text_english tiny_example_content_clickable" id="tiny16" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_metta');" ontouchstart="turnOn('tiny16');" ontouchend="turnOff('tiny16');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('tiny16');">metta</div>



            </div>
            </div>


<p class="bodycopy">When writing Japanese in Roman letters, consonants are
        doubled by writing the letter twice.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">Let&rsquo;s look at a few examples.</p>

        <div class="simple_table_container">

            <!-- Start simple table -->
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                <!-- Headers row -->
	        <tr>
                        <td class="simple_header simple_radius_tl" width="22%">Written</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header" width="22%">Breakdown</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header" width="22%">Meaning</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header" width="12%">vs.</td>
                        <td class="simple_header_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_header simple_radius_tr" width="22%">No doubling</td>

	        </tr>


	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st105" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_metta');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st105');" ontouchend="turnOff('st105');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st105');">metta</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st106" valign="top" onclick="">me-t-ta</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st107" valign="top" onclick="">hardly</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st108" valign="top" onclick=""></td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st109" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_meta');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st109');" ontouchend="turnOff('st109');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st109');">meta</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="9" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_even_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st110" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_kekkon');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st110');" ontouchend="turnOff('st110');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st110');">kekkon</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st111" valign="top" onclick="">ke-k-ko-n</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st112" valign="top" onclick="">marriage</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st113" valign="top" onclick=""></td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_even_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st114" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_XX-kekon');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st114');" ontouchend="turnOff('st114');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st114');">kekon</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="9" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st115" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_shippo');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st115');" ontouchend="turnOff('st115');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st115');">shippo</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st116" valign="top" onclick="">shi-p-po</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st117" valign="top" onclick="">tail</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_odd_row simple_not_clickable" id="st118" valign="top" onclick=""></td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_odd_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st119" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_XX-shipo');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st119');" ontouchend="turnOff('st119');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st119');">shipo</td>

	        </tr>
	        <!-- Line -->
	        <tr>
		    <td colspan="9" class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
	        </tr>

	        <!-- Item row -->
                <tr>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_even_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st120" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_nippon');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st120');" ontouchend="turnOff('st120');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st120');">Nippon</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st121" valign="top" onclick="">Ni-p-po-n</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st122" valign="top" onclick="">Japan</td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_english simple_even_row simple_not_clickable" id="st123" valign="top" onclick=""></td>
                        <td class="simple_divider"><img src="spacer@2x.png" /></td>
                        <td class="simple_roman simple_even_row simple_clickable_explicit" id="st124" valign="top" onclick="playSound('Pronunciation_XX-nipon');" ontouchstart="turnOn('st124');" ontouchend="turnOff('st124');" ontouchcancel="turnOff('st124');">nipon</td>

	        </tr>


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<p class="bodycopy">
    Incidentally, we happen to have something similar to this in English in the word &ldquo;lamppost.&rdquo; 
    Notice that the time you spend on the &ldquo;p&rdquo; combo in the middle is much longer than what you would spend
    on the same letter in the fictional word &ldquo;lam-post.&rdquo; That doubling of time is essentially the same
    as the doubling you see in the Japanese words in the table above.
</p>


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        <div class="subheading_level_1">Summary</div>

<p class="bodycopy">And that&rsquo;s it! With what you&rsquo;ve learned in this chapter,
        you can now read any Japanese word you lay eyes on.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">To recap, Japanese pronunciation is straightforward, but different
        from English in a couple key ways. First, vowels can be extended, which means
        making them last longer in duration. In writing, vowels are extended by writing
        two of the same vowel in a row, or in the case of <i>o</i> and <i>e</i>, adding <i>u</i> and 
        <i>i</i>, respectively. (That is, the extended version of <i>o</i> is <i>ou</i>,
        and the extended version of <i>e</i> is <i>ei</i>.)</p>

<p class="bodycopy">Similarly, consonants can also be doubled, which causes a
        one-beat pause to be inserted before pronouncing the consonant. In writing,
        consonants are doubled by writing two of them in a row. For example, in the
        word <i>gakka</i>, the speaker stops and
        waits for one beat before pronouncing the <i>ka</i>
        sound.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">Although there are a few challenging consonants for English
        speakers, such as the &ldquo;hard <i>r</i>&rdquo; sound,
        on the whole, Japanese pronunciation is easy to understand.</p>

<p class="bodycopy">Now that we can pronounce Japanese, let&rsquo;s learn a thing or
        two about how the writing system works.</p>

    
          
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