発音
hatsuon[ha̠t͡sɨõ̞ɴ]
To say pronunciation in Japanese, use 発音 (hatsuon).
発音 means the way words are pronounced, whether in Japanese or in a foreign language.
Meaning: way in which words are pronounced (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
発 means to emit or release and 音 means sound.
How does it change in a sentence?
Add する to make the verb 発音する, to pronounce.
How do you pronounce it?
It is read hatsuon.
When do people say it?
Learners often talk about 発音を直す, correcting or improving their pronunciation.
Did you know?
- In Japanese linguistics, 'pitch accent' is a fundamental part of 発音, meaning a change in the high or low tone of a syllable can change the word's entire meaning.
- The character 発 in 発音 also appears in the word for 'departure' (出発), linking the act of pronouncing a sound to the act of 'sending out' or 'launching' something.
- Japanese speakers often use the phrase カタカナ英語 ('Katakana English') to describe a specific style of 発音 where English words are adapted to Japanese phonetics.
Examples in context
- 発音がいいね。You have good pronunciation.Here 発音 is used in a compliment on someone's pronunciation.Tatoeba #9632877 by small_snow, translation #9628548 by Lungwort
- 発音悪くてごめん。I'm sorry my pronunciation isn't very good.The speaker apologizes because their 発音 is not very good.Tatoeba #2936963 by tommy_san, translation #3049857 by CK
- フランス語の発音極めたい。I want to master French pronunciation.This sentence talks about mastering French 発音.Tatoeba #3137103 by tommy_san, translation #3192918 by Jesse
- 私の日本語の発音はまだ上手ではありません。My Japanese pronunciation is not good yet.
- 彼女はフランス語の発音が素晴らしいです。Her French pronunciation is excellent.
- この言葉の正しい読み方を教えてください。Please teach me the correct way to pronounce this word.
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Ren are studying English together at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yui蓮さんの英語の発音、すごく綺麗ですね。Ren-san no eigo no hatsuon, sugoku kirei desu ne.Ren, your English pronunciation is very beautiful.
- 蓮 Renありがとうございます。結衣さんこそ、上手ですよ。Arigatou gozaimasu. Yui-san koso, jouzu desu yo.Thank you. You are the one who is good at it, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiもっと発音を良くしたいです。Motto hatsuon o yoku shitai desu.I want to improve my pronunciation even more.
- 蓮 Ren一緒に練習しましょう。Issho ni renshuu shimashou.Let's practice together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pronunciation” translations and entries 発音, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
