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 63
Japanese 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.
5 min readJapanese 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 readJapanese 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.
4 min readJapanese 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.
7 min readKeigo 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.
7 min readShadowing 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.
6 min readJapanese 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.
6 min read60 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.
5 min readJapanese 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.
5 min read50 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.
5 min readCan 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.
5 min readPractical guides
Turn Japanese knowledge into speaking confidence
Practice with Unihongo's AI Sensei in an immersive 3D classroom, with roleplay missions, pronunciation coaching, useful feedback, and learning games that build your vocabulary while you play.