Japanese Voiced Consonants157

In the Japanese language, there are five voiced consonants: g, z, d, b, and v. These sounds are produced by vibrating the vocal cords while pronouncing the consonant, in contrast to unvoiced consonants, which are produced without vibration.

G

The voiced consonant g is pronounced similarly to the English "g" in "go." It is a velar sound, meaning it is produced by the back of the tongue touching the soft palate. For example, the word がくせい (gakusei, student) is pronounced with a voiced "g."

Z

The voiced consonant z is pronounced similarly to the English "z" in "zoo." It is an alveolar sound, meaning it is produced by the tip of the tongue touching the ridge behind the upper teeth. For example, the word ざつし (zasshi, magazine) is pronounced with a voiced "z."

D

The voiced consonant d is pronounced similarly to the English "d" in "do." It is an alveolar sound, produced by the tip of the tongue touching the ridge behind the upper teeth. For example, the word だいがく (daigaku, university) is pronounced with a voiced "d."

B

The voiced consonant b is pronounced similarly to the English "b" in "book." It is a bilabial sound, meaning it is produced by pressing both lips together. For example, the word びょういん (byouin, hospital) is pronounced with a voiced "b."

V

The voiced consonant v is a relatively new sound in Japanese, and it only occurs in loanwords from Western languages. It is pronounced similarly to the English "v" in "van." For example, the word ビデオ (video) is pronounced with a voiced "v."

Distinguishing Voiced and Unvoiced Consonants

It is important to distinguish between voiced and unvoiced consonants in Japanese, as they can change the meaning of words. For example, the word かた (kata, shoulder) is pronounced with an unvoiced "t," while the word がた (gata, shape) is pronounced with a voiced "d."

In general, voiced consonants are used in more casual speech, while unvoiced consonants are used in more formal speech. For example, the word です (desu, "it is") is pronounced with a voiced "d" in casual speech, but with an unvoiced "t" in formal speech.

Pronunciation Tips

Here are some tips for pronouncing Japanese voiced consonants correctly:
Relax your throat and allow the vocal cords to vibrate freely.
Pay attention to the position of your tongue and lips for each sound.
Practice listening to voiced consonants in native Japanese speech.

Summary Table

The following table summarizes the Japanese voiced consonants, along with their English equivalents and examples:

Voiced Consonant
English Equivalent
Example


g
"g" in "go"
がくせい (gakusei, student)


z
"z" in "zoo"
ざつし (zasshi, magazine)


d
"d" in "do"
だいがく (daigaku, university)


b
"b" in "book"
びょういん (byouin, hospital)


v
"v" in "van"
ビデオ (video)

2024-11-21

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