New here? Start with my free accent course, English Pro Lite: 45 video lessons.
Are you a native Japanese speaker who:
- finds American English vowels hard, like the tense EE /i/ in beat and the relaxed IH /ɪ/ in bit?
- wants to speak English more smoothly, with words that connect?
- isn't sure when a word has an R and when it has an L, as in light and right?
American English Pronunciation for Japanese Speakers: Top 5 Pronunciation Challenges
These five challenges come up again and again with my Japanese-speaking students. I explain what happens with each one, and my free video lessons show you how to practice.
And don't forget to download your free Guidebook to the Sounds of American English!
Japanese Challenge #1: Confusing L /l/ and R /ɹ/
In Japanese, L and R are the same sound. Speakers often use them interchangeably, or say both as a quick flap /ɾ/. So in English, an L can come out as an R, an R can come out as an L, or both can sound like a flap. Light may sound like right, and the other way around.
Download a PDF: How to Pronounce the American English R Sound
Download a PDF: How to Pronounce the Light L and Dark L
American English has a flap /ɾ/ too, but we use it for T and D in certain words. For example, the T in butter is usually a flap, not a true T /t/.
Mixing up L and R can be very confusing for listeners. Sometimes it creates a different real word (light and right), and sometimes it creates a word that's hard to recognize, like "reary" for really.
How to Pronounce American English L and R Consonants
Your tongue does very different things for L and R. For L, the tongue is narrow, the back of the tongue is low, and the tongue tip can rise to the roof of your mouth. For R, the tongue is wide, the back of the tongue is high and pulled back, and the tongue tip doesn't touch anything at all!
Watch the videos below to practice L and R, or read my lessons: How to Pronounce the L /l/ Consonant; How to Pronounce the R /ɹ/ Consonant; Your #1 Go-to Guide to the Dark L.
Japanese Challenge #2: Linking and Word Connections
Japanese syllables usually end in a vowel. English syllables can end in a vowel, one consonant, or a group of consonants. So when a Japanese speaker reaches a consonant at the end of a syllable, it's natural to add a small vowel after it. For example, get it may sound like "get-oh it-oh."
In spoken American English, words and syllables connect in several ways: consonant to consonant, as in KitKat; consonant to vowel, as in get it; and vowel to vowel, as in pronunciation. When those links break, because of an extra vowel or a pause in your voice, your speech loses its flow and rhythm.
How to Pronounce Linking and Word Connections in American English
Linking has a lot of rules, so start with the videos below. You can also read my lessons: Consonant to Consonant Linking; All About the Flap /ɾ/ (aka Flap T); Vowel to Vowel Linking.
Japanese Challenge #3: The EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels
The EE /i/ in beat and the IH /ɪ/ in bit are both very common in American English. Japanese has EE /i/, but it doesn't have IH /ɪ/, so IH is usually the hard one.
EE /i/ is a long, tense vowel. Say "eee" with your hand under your chin. Can you feel the muscles tighten?
Download a PDF: How to Pronounce the EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels
IH /ɪ/ is a short, relaxed vowel. When you say it, the muscles under your chin should stay loose. It should feel very different from EE.
Japanese speakers often say IH like EE, so bit may sound like beat, and similar (sih-mih-ler) may sound like "see-mee-lar."
How to Pronounce the EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels in American English
The biggest difference is tension. For IH /ɪ/, relax your mouth and tongue (a mirror helps you check). For EE /i/, add as much tension as you can. Can you feel the difference?
Watch the videos below to practice, or read my lessons: How to Pronounce the EE /i/ Vowel; How to Pronounce the IH /ɪ/ Vowel; EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels: Minimal Pairs Listening Test.
Japanese Challenge #4: Final N /n/ and NG /ŋ/ Consonants
Many English words end in -ion, like mission, pronunciation, and onion. We say this ending as "un" /ən/, "in" /ɪn/, or a syllabic N /n̩/.
Download a PDF: How to Pronounce the N /n/ and NG /ŋ/ Consonants
Japanese speakers often end these words with NG /ŋ/ instead of N /n/, so mission sounds like "mish-ong." Most listeners will still understand you, especially in a sentence. But it can pull their attention away from what you're saying, and they may start thinking about your accent instead.
How to Pronounce the N /n/ and NG /ŋ/ Consonants in American English
N and NG use almost opposite tongue positions. For N /n/, the tongue is wide, the front of the tongue presses against the ridge behind your top front teeth, and the back of the tongue stays down. For NG /ŋ/, the front of the tongue stays down, and the back of the tongue rises to touch the soft palate.
Watch the videos below to practice, or read my lessons: How to Pronounce the N /n/ Consonant; How to Pronounce the NG /ŋ/ Consonant; Linking with Nasals N /n/, M /m/, NG /ŋ/.
Japanese Challenge #5: Changing S/Z and T/D to SH/ZH and CH/J
In Japanese, when S, Z, T, or D comes before the EE /i/ vowel, the tongue moves farther back in the mouth. The result sounds closer to SH /ʃ/, ZH /ʒ/, CH /ʧ/, or J /ʤ/.
So six may sound like "shicks," and position may sound like "puh-zhee-shon."
This can confuse listeners, because it often turns one real word into another: seat and sheet, tears and cheers, dim and gym.
How to Pronounce the S/Z, T/D, SH/ZH, and CH/J consonants in American English
Watch the videos below to practice these tricky sounds, or read my lessons: How to Pronounce the S /s/ and Z /z/ Consonants; How to Pronounce the T /t/ and D /d/ Consonants; How to Pronounce the SH /ʃ/ and ZH /ʒ/ Consonants; How to Pronounce the CH /ʧ/ and J /ʤ/ Consonants.
Want one-to-one help with your accent? See my private accent coaching.
Meet Nicky
Nicky found her own voice in English, and her confidence grew a lot.