Speaking and pronunciation
Practical guides on speaking, grammar, pronunciation, listening, and study planning, written for learners who want to use Japanese in real life.
Speaking and pronunciation · Page 3
Life in JapanJapanese at the Post Office: Parcels and Deliveries
A Japanese post office runs on a short set of questions, and the same questions come back every single time. Learn the answers once and the counter stops being the errand you keep putting off.
13 min read
Life in JapanJapanese for a Mobile Phone Contract in Japan
Signing a phone contract in Japan is a long conversation with a script you cannot see. Learn about fifteen nouns and four questions and you stay in control of it from beginning to end.
14 min read
Life in JapanJapanese Neighbourhood Life: Greetings and Rules
Most friction between a foreign resident and a Japanese neighbourhood is not rudeness. It is a handful of short sentences nobody taught you, and a rubbish timetable written in words you have never met.
12 min read
Life in JapanHow to Make Appointments and Bookings in Japanese
Almost every booking in Japanese runs on the same four pieces of information and the same two or three counter-questions. Learn the pattern once and the restaurant, the clinic and the plumber all become the same conversation.
11 min read
Speaking practiceJapanese Roleplay Practice With AI: 25 Scenarios to Try With a Tutor
Free chat with an AI tutor is pleasant but shapeless. A roleplay gives you a situation, a politeness level, and a reason to finish the sentence, which is what real conversation demands.
8 min read
Business JapaneseBusiness Japanese Practice With AI: Meetings, Phone Calls, and Keigo Roleplays
Most professionals know more keigo than they can use. Roleplaying a phone call or a meeting update with an AI tutor closes that gap, because the phrases arrive under mild pressure, the way they will at work.
9 min read
SpeakingFear of Speaking Japanese: How to Overcome Speaking Anxiety Step by Step
Speaking anxiety is not a sign that you have studied too little. It usually means you have never practised speaking in conditions that were safe enough to fail in, and that is fixable in a few weeks.
9 min read
Speaking12 Common Japanese Speaking Mistakes Learners Make (and How to Fix Them)
Most Japanese learners make the same dozen speaking mistakes, and nearly all of them are habits rather than gaps in knowledge. Here are the twelve that appear most often and the fix for each.
9 min read
SpeakingPolite vs Casual Japanese: How to Switch Without Sounding Awkward
Polite and casual Japanese express the same facts but manage a different relationship. Switching well is about context as much as conjugation.
4 min read
Speaking practiceJapanese Aizuchi: Listening Responses That Make Conversation Flow
Good Japanese conversation is not silent while one person speaks. Aizuchi show attention, emotion, and understanding without stealing the turn.
4 min read
SpeakingJapanese Filler Words: How to Pause and Sound More Natural
A useful filler does not hide weak Japanese. It holds your turn while you plan and replaces the long silence where a conversation often breaks down.
4 min read
Speaking practiceJapanese Small Talk: Natural Questions and Responses for Beginners
Small talk is not a vocabulary test. It is a short exchange of attention: notice something shared, ask lightly, react, and offer a little about yourself.
4 min readPractical guides
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