As a native Japanese speaker living and working in America , you probably understand the benefits of clear and effective communication. Good pronunciation is a crucial aspect of communicating effectively in English, but it can be difficult to account for all of the differences between the two completely distinct languages while speaking.
Due to the complexities of American English sound s and their stark differences with those of Japanese, native Japanese speakers tend to encounter certain specific pronunciation challenges in English.
So, whether it's for personal or professional growth, following these tips will refine your American English accent and result in clearer, more confident communication!
Why English Pronunciation Is Challenging for Japanese Speakers Before we dive into solutions for improving your pronunciation, it’s important to understand how and why English pronunciation can be uniquely difficult for Japanese speakers .
We’ve pinpointed some common hurdles:
Phonemic Differences
English and Japanese have completely distinct phonetic systems, including all consonant and vowel sounds .
Japanese words feature fewer vowel variations and most notably a complete lack of diphthongs , causing many Japanese learners of English to struggle with vowel pronunciation in particular.
Syllable Structure
Japanese has a simpler syllable structure compared to English, which often involves consonant clusters and complex stress patterns .
Intonation Patterns
English relies on varied intonation patterns to convey meaning and emotions, unlike the relatively flat intonation used when speaking Japanese.
Rhythm and Stress
While the Japanese language places greater emphasis on the pitch accent of words, English prioritizes word stress and rhythm on the broader scale of a phrase or sentence.
While these differences don't inhibit you from mastering American English pronunciation, it's helpful to be aware of common pronunciation problems for native Japanese speakers. With that, let's explore how Japanese speakers can fine-tune their English pronunciation!
1. Vowel Sounds There are not as many variations in vowel pronunciations in Japanese compared to vowels in English . There are some ways to pronounce vowels in English that simply don’t exist in Japanese, for example:
/u/ in "pool" /æ/ in "bat" /oʊ/ in "slow"
To overcome this challenge, experiment with all of the vowel variations in English and mimic the way native speakers pronounce these words. The BoldVoice app has a wealth of resources for precise pronunciations and short daily practice exercises to help you nail these pronunciation nuances!
2. R and L Sounds In Japanese, there is no distinction between the R and L sounds, which can result in interchangeable pronunciation of these sounds in English. For instance, you might pronounce the words “lush” and “rush” the same, because there is no need for such a distinction in Japanese.
To avoid this error, engage in targeted exercises focusing on the differentiation between R and L sounds.
To pronounce the R sound , curl the sides of your tongue up to your top back teeth. Point the tip of your tongue toward the back of your top front teeth.
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To pronounce the L sound, hold the tip of your tongue right behind your top front teeth and engage your vocal cords to send some voice through that shape . The sides of the tongue stay away from the side teeth.
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Now, practice minimal pairs of words that differ only in R and L sounds to train your ears and mouth to distinguish between the sounds.
For instance:
"Leap" and "reap" "Loom" and "room" "Lice' and "rice" "Fall" and "far"
3. TH Sounds The absence of dental fricatives , or TH sounds , in Japanese can cause Japanese speakers to substitute these sounds with the S or Z sounds in English.
Words like “thank” might be pronounced as “sank,” and "think" as “sit” or “zit.” This small change can make you sound like you’re saying a completely different word than you mean in English, so it’s important to make the distinction while speaking.
To correctly pronounce the TH sound, place your tongue between your top and bottom teeth and release some sound. If it feels stuck, separate your teeth so a little more air can pass through. The unvoiced TH sound, /θ/, involves no vocal cord vibration, whereas engaging the vocal cords produces the voiced TH sound, /ð/.
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It’s a subtle difference, but practicing it consistently will help you master it in no time! For more examples and visuals of individual mouth positioning, go to the BoldVoice app for expert advice.
To practice this challenge of mispronouncing TH sounds as S or Z, try targeted exercises focusing on tongue placement. Practice phrases and tongue twisters containing TH sounds to develop the correct articulation.
Try these:
"Think about the thrilling theater ." "This is the zenith of success." "They threw their clothes in the breeze."
4. V and F Sounds Because Japanese lacks V and F sounds , they are often substituted with B or P sounds by Japanese speakers. This can result in confusing words like “fan” with “pan” and “van” with “ban.”
(By the way—these four words are excellent for targeted minimal pairs exercises !).
To correctly pronounce the V sound, bring the bottom lip up to your top front teeth. Send some voice through that shape until you feel buzzing. If it feels stuck, relax your lip so more air can pass through.
To correctly pronounce F, maintain the same mouth and tongue positioning, but refrain from activating the vocal cords.
This is another matter of articulation. Practice these phrases to get the hang of differentiating the sounds:
"Very few people" "Find the perfect view" "The place with fog"
5. Adding Unnecessary Vowels A typical Japanese accent when speaking English includes the mistaken addition of vowels at the ends of words. This is because Japanese syllables usually end in vowels.
So when speaking English, your natural tendency might be to add an extraneous vowel—most commonly the schwa —after a word with a consonant to maintain a syllable structure akin to Japanese. “Book,” for instance, might be pronounced as “book-uh.”
To improve this, you can practice phrases and sentences that expose this difference. Stop and consider your tendency to add a vowel after each word, and avoid this by moving onto the next syllable.
Here are some practice examples:
"My cat likes to sit on the windowsill." "I need to tie my shoelaces." "She brought a cake to the picnic."
One of the best practices for this is also to listen to and repeat native English speakers. BoldVoice has thousands of practice words and phrases recorded by professional Hollywood accent coaches and automatic grading on your repetition—utilize this resource to upgrade your pronunciation clarity!
The absence of consonant clusters at the end of Japanese syllables makes it challenging for Japanese speakers to deal with words that end with consonant clusters in English.
They may either drop a consonant from the cluster, or add a vowel between consonants to break up the cluster. Explore this video of BoldVoice Coach Ron explaining consonant clusters in English:
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If you struggle with this element of English pronunciation, practice both words that contain consonant clusters at the end and those that begin with them. Pay attention to maintaining the integrity of each consonant, avoiding dropping or adding unnecessary vowels.
Here are some practice words:
"Helped" "Drink" "Strong" "Trees"
Improve English Pronunciation with the BoldVoice App English pronunciation requires practice and repetition, but it's also important to understand which elements of your speech require attention. The pronunciation problems above are common among native Japanese speakers, and can be helpful in developing a targeted accent training plan that's tailored to your strengths and weaknesses.
The BoldVoice app is another resource that can take your pronunciation even further. With hundreds of in-depth video lessons by professional accent coaches alongside real-life practice exercises and instant pronunciation feedback, your pronunciation in English will skyrocket!
Say goodbye to pronunciation errors and say hello to BoldVoice with a seven-day free trial!
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