Japanese pronunciation はひふへほ

日本語の発音は　わりと　簡単です。

でも、日本人が気づかない発音の違いがあります。

それは、例えば「はひふへほ」の「ふ」

How to pronounce ふ

A student who is learning Japanese from scratch asked me,

[voice icon=”https://teach-nihongo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/kohacu.com_000448_20171114.png” name=”生徒さん” type=”l line”]

先生、「ふ」は　HU ですか？　それとも　FU ですか？

[/voice]

I said ?????

Because for me, HU and FU are totally the same sounds.

Then, I told him, It’s HU.

But, to be honest, both are Okay with me.

Japanese don’t have F sound. So, F sound includes H sound.

Japanese can’t distinguish those

• L and R
• F and H
• V and B

Light and Right are the same sounds for Japanese. It is ライト in Japanese.

Glass and Grass as well. It is グラス.

Rap and Lap too. It is ラップ.

Hold and Fold as well. It is ホールド.

Vote and Boat as well. It is ボート.

I did practice before, so I can say L and R more clearly.
But, It is still hard to listen which one is which.

Sometimes I asked to a student,

[voice icon=”https://teach-nihongo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/kohacu.com_000848_20180319.png” name=”TOMO” type=”l”]Did you say L or R??[/voice]

The sounds that Japanese can’t pronounce.

We Japanese don’t have those sounds below.

[box class=”yellow_box” title=”日本人にとって難しい発音”]

• TH
• V
• F
• L
• R

[/box]

Japanese have to learn and practice if they want to pronounce them correctly.
Those are very new for Japanese.

[box class=”red_box” title=”同じ音”]

[/box]

These above are the same for Japanese. The same as あ.

So, I can tell you, Japanese pronunciation is very easy for you!!
You are lucky!!