Speaking and pronunciation

4 min readSeptember 4, 2026

Japanese Pronunciation Guide: Vowels, Rhythm, R, and Long Sounds

Clear Japanese pronunciation depends less on a perfect accent than on five stable vowels and accurate timing: every beat must get the space it deserves.

Illustration with the kanji for self-introduction and a speech bubble saying hajimemashite

Speaking

Japanese Self-Introduction (Jikoshoukai): Script, Phrases, and Examples

A self-introduction is the first thing anyone says in Japanese, and the one you will repeat hundreds of times. Here is how to get it right.

Illustration with the kanji for order and a menu card

Travel Japanese

How to Order Food in Japanese: Restaurant Phrases That Actually Work

From the moment you walk in to the moment you pay, a Japanese restaurant visit follows a script. Learn the script and the whole meal gets easier.

Illustration with the kanji for keigo and a bowing figure

Business Japanese

Keigo Basics: Polite Japanese for Work, Explained Simply

Keigo is not a different language. It is a small set of verb swaps and fixed phrases that signal respect, and you can learn the useful core in a few weeks.

Illustration with the katakana word shadowing and overlapping speech waves

Shadowing Japanese: A Step-by-Step Method to Sound More Natural

Shadowing is the closest thing to a shortcut for natural-sounding Japanese, but only when you do it with the right material, the right steps, and some way to check yourself.

Illustration showing the word ame with two different pitch contours

Japanese Pitch Accent for Beginners: What It Is and Why It Matters

Japanese does not use stress. It uses pitch. Once you can hear the four patterns, a huge amount of natural-sounding Japanese becomes learnable.

Illustration with the kanji for conversation and speech bubbles with common phrases

Speaking

60 Essential Japanese Phrases for Daily Conversation (With Romaji)

These sixty phrases cover most of what a beginner needs for a normal day in Japan. Learn them by saying them, not by reading them.

Japanese learner progressing through AI conversation practice levels

Speaking practice

Japanese Conversation Practice With AI: Beginner to Advanced

AI conversation works best when the challenge grows with you—from predictable beginner exchanges to opinions, negotiation, and natural repair.

Fifty Japanese conversation prompts arranged around a speech bubble

Speaking practice

50 Japanese Conversation Prompts for Beginners to Speak More

You do not need an exciting topic to practise speaking. You need a question that is easy to begin, open enough to extend, and personal enough to answer honestly.

Can AI Improve Japanese Pronunciation? A Practical Guide

AI feedback is most helpful as a fast mirror: it can show where your recording differs, but you still need careful listening, targeted repetition, and human judgment for nuance.