Pronunciation

さ(sa): Pronounced as "sah" (like the "sa" in "safari"). さ is Hiragana and サ is Katakana.

Pronunciation of Japanese [s]:

1. Position of the tongue:

• The tongue is placed near the front of the roof of the mouth, just behind the upper front teeth.

• The tip of the tongue should be close to the roof of the mouth, without touching it.

2. Breath sound:

• The Japanese [s] sound is sharp and clear, created by air passing between the tip of the tongue and the roof of the mouth.

3. No vocal cord vibration:

• [s] is a voiceless consonant, meaning the vocal cords do not vibrate during its pronunciation. It’s simply the flow of air through the mouth.

4. Mouth position:

• The lips are slightly apart, and the tongue creates a narrow passage for the air to flow through.

5. Differences from English:

• In English, the [s] sound can sometimes have more friction or a hissing sound, but Japanese [s] is often softer and clearer.

• Japanese [s] is not aspirated (doesn’t have the added puff of air found in some English pronunciations).

Start with a soft s sound followed by あ(a).

Pronunciation

し(shi): Pronounced as "shee" (like "she"). し is Hiragana and シ is Katakana.

Pronunciation of Japanese [sh]:

1. Tongue Position:

• The tongue is placed in a similar position to the English "sh" sound, but slightly closer to the roof of the mouth.

• The tongue should be flattened and slightly curled back, with the tip of the tongue near the middle of the roof of the mouth (not the very front like the [s] sound).

2. Air Flow:

• The air flows over the middle of the tongue and is directed out through the front of the mouth, creating a soft "shh" sound.

3. No vocal cord vibration:

• Like the [s] sound, the [sh] sound is voiceless, meaning that it doesn’t involve vocal cord vibration.

4. Mouth Position:

• Keep the lips relaxed, slightly parted, as if you're about to say "shh" to ask someone to be quiet.

This is an exception where the s sound blends into a "sh" sound before い(i).

Pronunciation

す(su): Pronounced as "soo" (like "suit"). す is Hiragana and ス is Katakana.

Pronunciation of Japanese [s]:

1. Position of the tongue:

• The tongue is placed near the front of the roof of the mouth, just behind the upper front teeth.

• The tip of the tongue should be close to the roof of the mouth, without touching it.

2. Breath sound:

• The Japanese [s] sound is sharp and clear, created by air passing between the tip of the tongue and the roof of the mouth.

3. No vocal cord vibration:

• [s] is a voiceless consonant, meaning the vocal cords do not vibrate during its pronunciation. It’s simply the flow of air through the mouth.

4. Mouth position:

• The lips are slightly apart, and the tongue creates a narrow passage for the air to flow through.

5. Differences from English:

• In English, the [s] sound can sometimes have more friction or a hissing sound, but Japanese [s] is often softer and clearer.

• Japanese [s] is not aspirated (doesn’t have the added puff of air found in some English pronunciations).

A soft s sound followed by う(u). In casual speech, the u sound can be very soft or even almost silent in some cases.

Pronunciation

せ(se): Pronounced as "seh" (like the "se" in "set"). せ is Hiragana and セ is Katakana.

Pronunciation of Japanese [s]:

1. Position of the tongue:

• The tongue is placed near the front of the roof of the mouth, just behind the upper front teeth.

• The tip of the tongue should be close to the roof of the mouth, without touching it.

2. Breath sound:

• The Japanese [s] sound is sharp and clear, created by air passing between the tip of the tongue and the roof of the mouth.

3. No vocal cord vibration:

• [s] is a voiceless consonant, meaning the vocal cords do not vibrate during its pronunciation. It’s simply the flow of air through the mouth.

4. Mouth position:

• The lips are slightly apart, and the tongue creates a narrow passage for the air to flow through.

5. Differences from English:

• In English, the [s] sound can sometimes have more friction or a hissing sound, but Japanese [s] is often softer and clearer.

• Japanese [s] is not aspirated (doesn’t have the added puff of air found in some English pronunciations).

A soft s sound followed by え(e).

Pronunciation

そ(so): Pronounced as "soh" (like the "so" in "solo"). そ is Hiragana and ソ is Katakana.

Pronunciation of Japanese [s]:

1. Position of the tongue:

• The tongue is placed near the front of the roof of the mouth, just behind the upper front teeth.

• The tip of the tongue should be close to the roof of the mouth, without touching it.

2. Breath sound:

• The Japanese [s] sound is sharp and clear, created by air passing between the tip of the tongue and the roof of the mouth.

3. No vocal cord vibration:

• [s] is a voiceless consonant, meaning the vocal cords do not vibrate during its pronunciation. It’s simply the flow of air through the mouth.

4. Mouth position:

• The lips are slightly apart, and the tongue creates a narrow passage for the air to flow through.

5. Differences from English:

• In English, the [s] sound can sometimes have more friction or a hissing sound, but Japanese [s] is often softer and clearer.

• Japanese [s] is not aspirated (doesn’t have the added puff of air found in some English pronunciations).

A soft s sound followed by お(o).