English respelling shows Japanese pronunciation using familiar English spelling patterns, so you can approximate a word without learning special symbols. It is less precise than IPA but often more intuitive for English speakers.
Vowel Sounds
| Japanese | Respelling | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| あ | AH | "a" in "father" |
| い | EE | "ee" in "see" |
| う | OO | "oo" in "food" (but unrounded) |
| え | EH | "e" in "bed" |
| お | OH | "o" in "go" |
Notation
| Mark | Meaning |
|---|---|
| extra H | Long vowel held longer (カー → KAHH) |
| - | Hyphen separates syllables for clarity |
| Ŕ | Japanese R-sound, a light tongue tap (different from English R) |
Example
ありがとう
AH-ŔEE-GAH-TOH
Syllables separated by hyphens; Ŕ indicates the Japanese R-sound.
Consonant Notes
Ŕ sounds
Japanese "r" is a light tap of the tongue against the roof of the mouth (similar to the "tt" in American "butter"). The accent mark (Ŕ) reminds you it is not an English R.
Double consonants
Smoothed for readability (がっこう → GAK-KOH). The doubled letter marks a brief pause before the consonant.
N sounds
Change based on the following consonant (せんぱい → SEM-PAH-EE before "p").
English respelling is a helpful starting point. For more accurate pronunciation, listen to
the audio or study the IPA transcription.