Hi!
I’m new to Japanese (as I think is clear from my question) and am curious on the exact pronunciation difference between words with seemingly added syllables at the end. Such as じょ vs. じょう or じゅう. And how come じゅう can’t just be spelled as じゅ? Is there a rule I don’t know?
I think this may be a loaded question, and so I appreciate any explanation that might be offered.
Is the syllable just longer or is there a different sound? I just wanna make sure I’m pronouncing them right.
Thanks!
3 comments
It’s a longer お sound. Listen to more Japanese and you’ll start to hear the difference
I found this video very helpful to understand japanese pronunciations. Although she’s covering the small Tsu, the same concept applies for what you asked. It’s essentially extending the vowel sound by another beat.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFbsWVMCgJM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFbsWVMCgJM)
The worst thing you can do is think of them as “extra”. If they’re there, it is because they belong there and their absence can turn it into a completely different word.