か(ka): Pronounced as "kah" (like "karaoke"). か is Hiragana and カ is Katakana.
Pronunciation of Japanese [k]:
• The tongue is placed near the soft part of the roof (the velum), creating a brief blockage of air.
• Japanese [k] is pronounced with a strong breath of air released after the blockage is removed, much like the English [kh] sound in words like "cat" or "key."
き(ki): Pronounced as "kee" (like "key"). き is Hiragana and キ is Katakana.
Pronunciation of Japanese [k]:
• The tongue is placed near the soft part of the roof (the velum), creating a brief blockage of air.
• Japanese [k] is pronounced with a strong breath of air released after the blockage is removed, much like the English [kh] sound in words like "cat" or "key."
く(ku): Pronounced as "koo" (like "cool"). く is Hiragana and ク is Katakana.
Pronunciation of Japanese [k]:
• The tongue is placed near the soft part of the roof (the velum), creating a brief blockage of air.
• Japanese [k] is pronounced with a strong breath of air released after the blockage is removed, much like the English [kh] sound in words like "cat" or "key."
Start with a soft k sound, followed by う(u). Keep it smooth and avoid rounding your lips too much.
け(ke): Pronounced as "keh" (like "kettle"). け is Hiragana and ケ is Katakana.
Pronunciation of Japanese [k]:
• The tongue is placed near the soft part of the roof (the velum), creating a brief blockage of air.
• Japanese [k] is pronounced with a strong breath of air released after the blockage is removed, much like the English [kh] sound in words like "cat" or "key."
こ(ko): Pronounced as "koh" (like "co" in "coat"). こ is Hiragana and コ is Katakana.
Pronunciation of Japanese [k]:
• The tongue is placed near the soft part of the roof (the velum), creating a brief blockage of air.
• Japanese [k] is pronounced with a strong breath of air released after the blockage is removed, much like the English [kh] sound in words like "cat" or "key."