Japanese pitch accent refers to the pattern of high and low tones used when pronouncing words. Unlike English stress (which uses loudness), Japanese uses pitch changes to distinguish words.
Reading the Pitch Pattern
The pitch contour shows the relative pitch of each mora (syllable unit) in a word:
- High (H): The mora is pronounced at a higher pitch
- Low (L): The mora is pronounced at a lower pitch
Example: 日本語 (nihongo), "Japanese language"
Pitch rises after the first mora, drops after ゴ (odaka pattern)
Example: 分かります (wakarimasu), "to understand" (polite)
The ス mora is devoiced (shown with dashed line): the vowel is whispered or silent
Why Pitch Accent Matters
Some words are distinguished only by pitch accent. Consider 箸 (chopsticks) and 橋 (bridge). Both are pronounced "hashi" but with different pitch patterns:
Listen to both: 箸 starts high then drops (HL), while 橋 starts low then rises (LH↓)
The Four Accent Types
Standard Japanese (Tokyo dialect) has four pitch accent patterns:
| Type | Pattern | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heiban 平板 | L H H H... | Flat: rises after first mora, stays high | さくら cherry blossom |
| Atamadaka 頭高 | H L L L... | Head-high: drops after first mora | 箸 chopsticks |
| Nakadaka 中高 | L H...H L... | Middle-high: rises then falls in the middle | たまご egg |
| Odaka 尾高 | L H H↓ | Tail-high: drops only when followed by a particle | 橋 bridge |
Regional Variation
While pitch accent varies by region (Tokyo vs Osaka dialects have different systems), learning standard (Tokyo) pitch accent helps with comprehension and natural-sounding speech. Most dictionaries and learning materials use Tokyo pitch accent as the reference.