Long Vowels in Japanese187

In Japanese, vowels can be either short or long. Short vowels are pronounced for a duration of one mora, while long vowels are pronounced for a duration of two morae. Morae are units of sound that determine the rhythm of Japanese words. A mora is typically represented by a single syllable, but it can also be represented by a single consonant or a consonant cluster.

The five Japanese vowels are a, i, u, e, and o. When a vowel is followed by a consonant, it is pronounced short. However, when a vowel is followed by another vowel, it is pronounced long. For example, the word "hana" (flower) has a short a sound, while the word "haana" (nose) has a long a sound.

Long vowels are also used to distinguish between different words. For example, the word "toki" (time) has a short o sound, while the word "tooku" (far) has a long o sound. In addition, long vowels are used to create emphasis. For example, the word "kawaii" (cute) can be pronounced with a short a sound to indicate a mild level of cuteness, or it can be pronounced with a long a sound to indicate a strong level of cuteness.

There are a few rules that govern the pronunciation of long vowels in Japanese. First, a long vowel can only occur in an open syllable. An open syllable is a syllable that ends in a vowel. Second, a long vowel cannot be followed by a voiced consonant. A voiced consonant is a consonant that is produced with the vocal cords vibrating. Third, a long vowel cannot be followed by a consonant cluster.

The following table summarizes the rules for the pronunciation of long vowels in Japanese:

Vowel
Short
Long


a
[a]
[a:]


i
[i]
[i:]


u
[u]
[u:]


e
[e]
[e:]


o
[o]
[o:]

Long vowels are an important part of the Japanese language. They can be used to distinguish between different words, create emphasis, and indicate the mood of a speaker.

Additional Notes* In addition to the five basic vowels, Japanese also has a diphthong, which is a combination of two vowels pronounced as a single syllable. The diphthong in Japanese is [ei].
* Long vowels can also be represented in writing using a macron. A macron is a horizontal line that is placed over a vowel to indicate that it is long. For example, the word "haana" can be written as "hāna".
* Long vowels are not always pronounced for a full two morae. In some cases, they may be pronounced for a slightly shorter duration. This is especially true in casual speech.

2024-11-27

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