Lesson 1: Pronunciation - I

Page 4 of 4

Exceptions in Pronunciation

GA
Sometimes you will hear GA pronounced more like "nga." It is pronounced with a nasal effect. You need not try to pronounce it in this manner as with more exposure to native Japanese speakers, you will experience it and slowly learn on which words to use this pronunciation.

You will be perfectly understandable when using "ga" instead of "nga."

N
In some cases the N sound will change to more of an "m." This typically happens before phonetics starting with B, M, or P. You will also see it romanized using an M.

Here is an example:
shimbun

SU
There are a couple of notable exceptions in the case of SU.

First, is when SU is at the end of a word. The U is almost silent.

For example:
Desu is pronounced more like dess.

Another, is when SU is before phonetics starting with K. Again, the U is almost completely silent.

For example:
Sukiyaki is pronounced more like skiyaki.

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